


Conquistador

by MysticAttack



Series: It's Just Not Our Time [1]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Blood and Torture, Child Marriage, F/M, Fluff, Mentions of Abortion, Multi, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slavery, Suicide, Victim Blaming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2019-06-14 18:02:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 62,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15394350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticAttack/pseuds/MysticAttack
Summary: Takes place 23 years before the storyline of FNV and Frankincense And MyrrhThe last thing Lieutenant Lee Davis wanted was to bring more virtue into the world. She knew what happened to merry families in times like these, especially two girls who are unaware of the Wasteland having one job: to suck you in and spit you out on the other side. It's criminal to harm a child, but Caesar's legion does what they must.





	1. No More "Not Caring", A Mother's Curse

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically what happened to Elest and her family before she met Craig Boone in: Frankincense And Myrrh. It's written in Team Omega's POV for the first five chapters. Whether anyone reads this or not is not my business (but please do). I just love writing/reading prologue and harrowing works. 
> 
> Team Omega was created by yours truly~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A mother would have been always present. A mother would have been a constant friend; her influence would have been beyond all other." -Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.

Mother was never a selfish woman.

Even after she met their father, she always had a stern look on her face. Taken from the countless missions of killing the enemy through her scope. Her hair never visible beside the blonde folded underneath her 1st Reconnaissance Battalion beret. Her mouth was tight and her jaw clenched. She never did things for herself, it was always for her team, for the NCR, for the family, for dad, for the good of the damn world. 

Lieutenant Lee Davis is what her dog tag said, she never tucked it into her battle armor, rather show loud and proud who she was and what she ran. The Recon team she handcrafted solely herself. She was a proud woman, confident, and knew what she was capable of. But never selfish.   

After Lee Davis was forced to move her team to Camp Golf, she met Master Sergeant Vance. He shook her hand with an attractive and kind smile. Biting to celebrate having her on board after hearing ruthless stories of her team's attacks on Caesar's Legion and their securing of influential landmarks. She found that he -unlike her, hid behind false pretenses of doing so for the greater good. She'd saw him as a coward. Kissing the ass of the Republic solely to get a high-end position at the dam in order to keep himself off the front lines. 

Nevertheless, the rest of the Omega Recon Team were charmed by his seemingly good nature. Bright brown eyes and a wide smile. Thanking the team for their hard work and giving them the luxuries that the camp had to offer. "A brahmin steak sandwich. . . Tastes like the juices from an angel's pussy." Grim, Native American and one of the more indigenous amongst the five of them commented with a mouth full like a drunken gambler in New Vegas. Not the best company, but he could shoot a Sasperilla cap off a bottle from 400 yards away. Spin-Up glared at him over his sunglasses, taking off his beret to brush his dark fingers through his tightly coiled hair.

"What?" Grim snapped, crossed by the look. "I've eaten nothing but Sugar Bombs since I was enlisted. Stop fucking me, Spin."

"Then close your mouth and I won't be tempted." He fired back, Grim moved the burger from his mouth with a sheer coat of grease in his dark goatee, his mouth full of burger. He spat it out on the table without further notice.

"Ugh!" Spin-Up exclaimed, hands pulling back from his tray.

"You're practically feral." Sergeant Pepper spat, an Indian woman with an everlasting scowl. Along with her, the remaining Recons at the table voiced their disgruntlement with his actions. Exasperated "Are you kidding me?" and "really?" spoke in unison. Grim was pleased with himself, brushing the excess crumbs from his facial hair.

"Close your damn mouth." Lieutenant Lee Davis ordered. It was obvious she was more vexed by other matters, not her comrades spitting out their dinner. "And clean that up. We are transfers, not savages." 

"Yes, ma'am." Grim grumbled sardonically, a grin hidden in his hairs before grabbing the slop and stuffing it back in his mouth. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Corporal Aarons snapped, pale eyes twitching. He set his sandwich down on his pearl-colored tray. The afternoon sunlight hitting the bread in a lovely way, yet all ruined.

"I'm not letting good food go to waste. People are starving out there in the Mojave!" Grim protested, "My lieutenant told me to clean up my mess. And that's exactly what I fucking did. Bite me, asshole." Talking to authority that way would have him booted out of the team if he hadn't been an unfortunate asset. "Anyway, are the beds as good as the food?"

* * *

No one questioned the embitterment of the Lieutenant. Lee knew at times it could be hard to tell whether or not her attitude was a real annoyance or just her appearance on average, or they decided her mood would grow thin. Team Omega knew she didn't want them to move from New California. It didn't matter if the Golf was the NCR's golden ticket, California was home.

Nevertheless, Lee Davis marched around like she owned the place. Maybe she did, some would argue. Others would joke that if she put her stone cold heart to it, she could kick Caesar's misogynistic ass on her own. Probably a miraculous rumor spread by Grim, or Spin-Up if she could get him to admit it. It took over a week before any of her Recons noticed her behavior. Cursing much too loud when she missed the center of a target floating in the river. 

"Okay, Lieutenant. Not to pry, but what the fuck is going on with you?" Corporal Aarons said after she sulked away from the rest of them, leaving the four remaining members of the Omega team bewildered from her outburst. Hell, Lee didn't even know why she was like this. The more she saw the way things were around here, the more this place made her skin crawl. 

"Politics." She muttered. 

Master Sergeant Vance took a liking to her on the battlefield. She was sure that he never held a gun in his life with those smooth hands and unblemished skin. One of those businessmen who craved to look gruff and torn like the ones who'd seen the face of terror. He saw her taking apart the mods on her Hunting Rifle, cowboy hat settled on the top of his head and his beige face wrap up to his nose. "There's some lakelurks a couple of miles north of the river, mind if I ask you to tag along?"

She heaved the scope from the placement on her weapon, blue eyes shot up to look at him with her well-known expression. "Why would I do that?" She asked, clearly disgusted by his high presence. Lee could almost feel the kindness radiating off of him like a toxic pre-war bomb, she thought someone like him needed to be contained. 

"Because you want me out of your face. So maybe you'd like to take your anger out on a few sea creatures."

Despicable. She couldn't believe he'd try and be so bold. Coming up to Lee with her gun still loaded while she was on California Republic property, unable to shoot on sight. "Depends how good you are with that assault rifle."

"Good enough."

Sounded like a reply she'd shoot out, she could respect that. He was a good shot. But just because he could use a weapon without callusing his fingers didn't mean she had to like him. But it was the start of a mutual veneration for one another, as seedless as it was.

"So what's up with you and the ray of sunshine, huh?" Grim inquired two weeks after that encounter with Master Sergeant Vance of Camp Golf. There was a bratty grin on his face, he paused to wolf down a knob of maize. Sergeant Pepper rolled her eyes from the terminals, she was writing a few reports back to camps and paid them no heed. It left Lee Davis alone with the tribal-like grunt who pried in her business too much for a one-year Recon. "Honestly? Doesn't matter, but if he manages to make his peace and love attitude rub off on you then we have no problem with you fucking h-"

"That is a very inappropriate thing to say to me, Rookie Grim. I advise you to stop before I'm authorized to file you in for harassment."

Lee Davis didn't know what she was thinking. The Lieutenant always envied ones who cared enough for the new world to fight tooth and nail for it. The ones sitting behind desks and counters insisting they knew the ways of war best were vile. Vance couldn't have seen the battlefield. If so, it was only a clash of who could duplicate the words to Dean Martin: Ain't That A Kick In The Head the best. Lee wanted to respect everyone willing to enlist in the NCR and fight the ones who thought they knew better, but she never appreciated the cowards.

But if she deemed Mr. Master Sergeant Vance of Camp Golf one of those spineless individuals, then she was fucking one. 

She wasn't proud of it, but she didn't have to answer to things that weren't harming others. Vance didn't have that pained look the majority of soldiers had, maybe she was envious. Someone who enlisted years ago could still possess peace. It was unique, since the only ones she saw like that it was the ones in New Vegas or the bastards residing behind desks. They were always too good for themselves, noses so high in the sky that it leveled with the Lucky 38. But Vance wasn't like that. Happy, he was genuinely glad to see the sun in the sky every morning. Lee didn't know if there were skeletons in his closet.

Private Baiting Ruthe wanted to take written paperwork filed from Hoover Dam to Master Sergeant Vance an hour before it happened, Lee Davis volunteered to do it herself. Maybe it was the beer she drank during dinner, but she went down to his tent at eight in the evening with documents in her hand that weren't hers. She took off her beret and held it between her fingers. "Take these, they're from the Hoover Dam." She said, setting them over the keyboard of the terminal he was engrossed in. Jerking up, his brown eyes found her.

"And Lieutenant Davis is giving them to me instead of the scouts. Care to explain?"

"You want me to say that I came here to talk to you, don't you?"

If she didn't know any better, she would say that he blushed. Clearing his throat, he trailed off into whatever drink was inside of his mug. His lips smacked together before forming a reply. "Did you?" He inquired, more of a statement than anything else. "You don't have your beret on."

"Is it a crime?"

"Hope not." She would've taken that as a flirtatious reply if she didn't already have a goal, setting down her beret. She moved her hand up to pull the buckle of her belt loose from her waist and set it on his desk. "What are you doing?" He asked, a little disturbed.

Lee Davis sighed, "I'm taking my clothes off. What? Do you want me to stop?"

The look on his face was beyond comical, almost virginal. He snapped out of it well enough, inhaling deeply like breathing completely slipped from his mind. "No, no." He coughed, a strangled sound from his mouth. "Continue, if you like." 

She didn't think he was chaste, going on thirty years old with twelve years with NCR under his tag. Not many were, especially ones with the word 'master' in their name. Informally, she shed the NCR armor wraps, her expression still the one she bore the moment she entered the tent. He hid his mouth with two fingers, not knowing what to do with himself. Shifting in his seat when she started to remove her trousers. 

Almost amusing to watch, leaving herself in nothing but her dog tag but found that the only one venerable here seemed to be him. "Come on, Vance." 

Snapping back, he cursed. Straightening his spine and pulling himself from the chair. Hastily pulling his threads from his skin until he was as exposed to the hot air as she was. Lee said she hated him, maybe she still did with his warmhearted mentality, exposing himself to every circumstance with a smile. In this specific scenario, she found that he did grin once, eyes wide and lips parted but never cracking a smile. 

Finding herself pushed against the surface of his desk, back of her head pressed against the side of his personal terminal was a hilarious afterthought. Grunting and groaning along with Vance. His fingertips pressing into her hips, she was thankful then on that his hands were soft. A bruising force yet much less discomforting than she thought it would be, thought _he_ would be. 

Spent, slick with sweat and panting like a dog. Lee swallowed, wishing there was a damn bottle of purified water at her disposal. "What's that saying about coworkers?" He inquired breathlessly, hands caressing the shape of her thighs.

"We're not coworkers." She said, and she meant it. "Team Omega is not permanently stationed here."

"Neither am I." He replied in a voice as hoarse as hers. "But why me?"

Lee Davis didn't answer, craning her head to look at him, neck strained from being against the terminal. Vance helped her in getting to her feet, gathering their NCR wraps. She was throwing her undershirt over her head when she replied. "Because I didn't like you." 

"Didn't?" 

She paused, thinking while she heaved the NCR Lieutenant wraps over her head. Pulling the length of her Dog tag out to lay against her armor. "Yes. Didn't." 

 

* * *

 

Months passed, nearly half of the year spent in Camp Golf. Lee Davis hated it there, but she grew accustomed to Master Sergeant Vance being around. No one would tease her for having morning coffee with him, no one would dare bring it up to her either. Not since Grim.

"Why do you want to be stationed at Hoover Dam so much?" She asked him, bringing the mouth of her mug to her lips after he briefly mentioned the Legion and their desire to conquer the Dam. 

He tapped rhythmlessly on the table, "because having more NCR at the Dam would make it more difficult for the Legion to take it over."

Nodding thoroughly, "but why you?" She questioned. Something he didn't have an answer already picked out for. That's how it felt having a conversation with him. Like he had a script, every word stated like he'd been practicing lines before you arrived. He paused, humming deeply. 

"I don't know. But without me, that's one less soldier Hoover Dam will have at its disposal."

Both of them weren't sure how they felt about each other. They could only wonder what the other was thinking, but all Lee hoped was that the Master Sergeant wasn't hoping for anything more than a dozen tumbles between the sheets. He seemed like the type of gut to note their progression since first shaking hands as something going somewhere, a kind man hoping for more.

She wasn't sure. It all lasted eight months, she could've considered him a friend if he hadn't been between her thighs more than any other man. But something changed that month, she grew accustomed to having him around or close by at all times of the day. Lee wondered what it would be like to have him suddenly depart from Camp Golf, or if Team Omega were abruptly relocated down south. She found it excruciating to think about, losing the time she coaxed here. Lose his company, lose him.

Lose him?

"Lieutenant?"

Snapping back, taking note of the rifle clenched in her hands. Jaw clenched and shoulders held back. It was her call, her Recon team staring in her direction with eagerness. All aiming at the moving targets far out in the lake. Lee Davis nodded, "on three."

* * *

Suddenly, Lieutenant Lee Davis didn't want to be anywhere near Master Sergeant Vance. Near his beaming smile, kind tone, gentle laugh. Once again she hated it, all because she was growing to appreciate it, maybe even enjoy it. Her spirits were unconsciously lifted since this started.

But now Team Omega could see her spirits slowly coming down from their high. And with that they all relaxed their shoulders, Lee noticed it immediately. They were used to her never showing a spec of appreciation to the world around them, and now that she was avoiding Vance, she was back to normal.

Almost. 

What she learned very soon about Master Sergeant Vance was his way of seeking out trouble, with her at least. The only reason they started to chat was based on his courage to waltz up to her and ask if she would like to assist him in killing lakelurks. Of course he'd search her out as soon as he didn't find her in his tent at the most: one night that week. 

Barking training orders at Grim after he stared a bit too long at Sergeant Pepper's backside at around four in the afternoon on a Thursday, it all seemed delightfully boring. Spin-Up managed to set himself a new record for how many Cola bottles he could shatter from on top of the House Resort before one of the Rangers noticed, for a moment the Lieutenant thought that would be the most noteworthy thing to happen that day. 

She wasn't shocked, especially to see the outcome of what happens when you leave a man without anticipated company for a week. Honestly, Lee expected him to come crawling sooner, not that she wasn't grateful about how long he stayed away. She took a shot in the distance at a Lakelurk wandering the shore of Lake New Vegas a few hundred yards away. She exhaled, sensing Vance staring at her from behind while peering through her scope. "You going to say something, Vance?"

"Lieutenant." He greeted, as if he merely stumbled across her on a stroll. It was amusing, a small smirk formed on her lips. "My guess is that was a good shot."

"You didn't come all the way over here to ask if my hit was successful. You know it was." Lee pulled back the recliner on her rifle and grabbed it from the workbench. "Want to tell me why you really came over to talk to me, five in the afternoon on a Thursday?" Couldn't be business, she guessed that long before he wandered near. 

"Where have you been these past few days?"

Lee Davis chuckled, throwing the strap of her rifle over her shoulder to rest it against her spine. "Are you asking me why I haven't let you bend me over your desk?" In the midst of adjusting the fitting of the Recon beret on the top of her head, she stared at him. Stunned by her boldness, his lips parting with a glance shot over his shoulder, he rubbed his chin apprehensively. Lee rolled her eyes. "We're both adults. You don't have to play coy, Vance. You want me to follow you to the flap of your tent again?"

"Is that an invitation?" He inquired.

"It could be." God, she really was toying with him. She enjoyed his company, why not indulge herself? Lee was letting dread to corrupt her existence. Why did it matter if they were both permanently stationed at Camp Golf? Why did it matter to her that he could die on the battlefield? "Listen, I hope you're not catching feelings. This won't last. I'm not about to worry about your hide if we share the front lines."

It was curt. No one could tell whether she was disinterested or cared too much for her own good, perhaps Vance was the acceptation. Staring at her with the side of his mouth tugged up. She could guess it wasn't enough to send him running with his tail between his legs. "I understand."  

"Good, so there's nothing more to discuss." She spoke, paying him one last glance before making her way to the House Resort where her team trotted off to.

"Hold on, Lieutenant," Vance called out before she went too far. Lee didn't want to turn around, the more she stared at him the more he would linger in her thoughts. She didn't need him distracting her. But she did, swinging around with her mouth a straight line. "May I ask if you'll come and see me in my tent a quarter till nine?" 

Thinking for a moment. This was exactly what she wanted to avoid with him. Too much interaction was like wallowing in a toxic dump of radiation. She told him to not catch any feelings but here she was, defiling her own words before they were spoken. Hideous, how dare he have the audacity to ask her such a question. "Fine," she replied.

* * * 

Lee Davis grew accustomed to her appreciation for Vance the past year. For others it seemed like a lovely friendship, not breaking any military policy she could find. From what she found out, Team Omega wasn't tied to Vance in any way. Only now, with her team being stationed here.

Blood tests were common, with how agitated the Lieutenant was from the year they've been stationed at Camp Golf, one of the commissioned officers thought at least one soldier would take medical Med-X for kicks, or drink too much beer at meals. Especially for the Omega Team. 

"I won't be surprised if Grim's results come back saying he's a Jet junkie. Some of the shit he says he couldn't have made up sober." Corporal Aarons said under his breath at breakfast. Since the rookie was using the bathroom he didn't have to hold his tongue. Aarons stuffed a spoonful of rabbit bits in his mouth and grimaced at the taste. "I'm praying a bunch of drugged up raiders will try and take out camp. I'm dying to do something that doesn't involve shooting empty bottles and Lakelurks." 

"It's to keep the team sharp until the NCR gets off their ass and lets us move into action." Lieutenant Lee Davis said, even though she couldn't agree more. Her medical mask muffling her words, she pulled it down to her neck and stuffed a piece of boiled yucca plant in her mouth. 

"You still throwing up all over the place?" Spin-Up inquired while Lee chewed her breakfast. Sergeant Pepper stared at him with his choice of words, but he only shrugged. Lee didn't take it the wrong way, swallowing thickly. "Seriously, how can you be too tired to hold your rifle? God, I really hope your cold isn't contagious."

"I'll assure you that you'll be fine." She replied. "It doesn't affect my combat, so quit worrying." She stabbed her fork through the Yucca fruit on her plate, continuing to eat with the rest of them. "We'll be in the field at eight, understood? We can't let our skills go dull."

"Yes, Ma'am." 

* * *

 

Breakfast went down well. And just as she ordered, the team was out in the field when the clock struck eight. They moved the targets out of Camp Golf's borders for more of a challenge. Grim's aim, fortunately, increased and same with Spin-Up's, so much that Lee and Aarons didn't feel the need to correct them. Lee loaded her armor piercing rounds in her rifle with ease. Only hearing the sounds of footsteps after a woman called out. "Lieutenant Lee Davis?" 

A woman in a lab coat approached, yelling over the firing guns, Lee perked up at the sound of her name. Staring at the backs of her team before deciding it was best to leave them be. The Lieutenant followed the woman further away from all the noise, moving about twenty to thirty feet from the range. The doctor had a clipboard in her hands, grazing over its contents then staring at Davis. "We got your blood results back, and I have a few questions."

Odd, the last time she had any narcotics or Chems in her system was when she got grazed by a machete and needed Med-X to ease off the pain. There was the occasional beer with her dinner but nothing more. "Well, I'm all ears. I hope this is important enough to interrupt military training."

"Yes, yes I understand." The woman swallowed, Lee crossed her arms over her chest. "Can you recall the last time you had your period?"

"My -excuse me?" Not many things baffled the Lieutenant, but she supposed today was a fine acceptation. Her eyebrows threaded together and her mouth open. "No, I have more important things to do than keep track of it." She watched the doctor's eyes dipped back to the clipboard, she then continued. 

"Are you sexually active?"

Shit, she knew where this was going. Her hands fell to her sides. Oh my god, oh no. No, oh _no-_ "Are you telling me I'm pregnant?" Lee inquired, her chest felt cold and her heart was pounding against her chest like a fist knocking on a door. Her mind was spinning, she couldn't tell if she was terribly surprised or petrified. She didn't know what to think -what to _do!_ What would this mean of her rank and team? Her career? What in the fuck would she tell Master Sergeant Vance?

"Yes, that is what the results say. All I can say is congratulations! A-"

Lee Davis completely dozed off. Her eyes were wide and she didn't know whether or not she wanted to continue training with her team or go find Vance, wherever the bastard was. 

What was she expecting? It wasn't like they took any precautions, god knows that would've saved them what she expected to be their positions in the NCR. What would happen to her squad? It would never be the Omega Team if she wasn't there. Lee handcrafted that fucking team and they worked their asses off to get the respect they had now. Fuck. . . A baby? In this world? And she would be their mother? She knew well that she could take good care of her squad but an infant was a whole other scenario. She hadn't seen a small baby in years -years! And she was supposed to raise one in the midst of the Mojave? 

Somehow she managed to continue on with her day, skin pale and her brains scrambled like an open caravan lunch. The lieutenant couldn't continue on with the Recon training, she wasn't sure exactly what was making her feel sick anymore. Calling off practice was something that Grim would have kicked himself with glee over, but once he and the rest of the team saw that her usual impassive expression was gone. They knew that it was more than Lee Davis being too ill to continue on. "My health is none of your concern." She dismissed, but a part of her wanted nothing more than to tell them, though not as much as Grim for obvious reason. Still, she trusted them with her life as well as the other way around. They were just as much family as the people who raised her.

No, she couldn't. Too soon, it'd only been half an hour and she was already planning on telling the news to her teammates before the actual father.  

The father. . . She really hated the sound of that.

Not long after she put a brisk end to training, she found it her goal to search out the Master Sergeant. It was odd, as she was used to Vance being the one relentlessly chasing her around the camp until he could get her notice. Now it seemed that the role was switched, she honestly didn't want to find him. Keep this all to herself and hope that it just. . . Went away. As disheartening as it was. 

She found the man hidden away in his tent, signing off paperwork as well as writing entries in his personal terminal. She was never one to shy from the truth, this was either another one of those examples or a time where she desired nothing more than to turn and run the other way. Lee didn't say anything, waited until he pulled himself from his work to notice her standing there. "Oh, Lieutenant. Something you need?" 

Not that, the look in his eyes wasn't appropriate for the situation at hand. She found that she was unable to keep her gaze focused with his, her throat feeling tight and closed off, her eyes heating up at an agonizing pace. She hated this, Lee would sooner die than cry in front of him, stupid. They were stupid. "I need to sit down."

"Oh? Alright. Give me a moment." 

The man proceeded to pull himself from the peeling chair, she took it as an invitation to take it from him as he wandered to his bed to the similar chair shoved up against the metal beams at the foot of the bed. Wrapping his fingers around the backboard prior to dragging it across the platformed flooring, he halted in front of her. Sitting himself down along her right side of the desk, next to the tent entrance. "You look worried." He stated, "meaning. . . This is important."

"I'm pregnant." 

She couldn't hold it in any longer than would be deemed necessary. If she did -Lee would give the man time to play cunningly. At this moment she wouldn't be able to bare it. The grin fell from his lips, brown eyes slowly widening before his mouth dropped. Leaning forward to place his elbows on his thighs, "wait w-wh-"

"Team Omega took a blood test for traces of addictive Chems and they found. . ." His jaw fell a bit further, Vance's fingers moving up to cover his lips from sight. She couldn't tell whether his hands were tremoring or not. Lee looked down at her own, jaw fastened as she saw tears beginning to blur her vision. "I decided it would be best if I told you immediately." Her tone was hoarse.

"God, yes. Thank you." It seemed that unlike her, when told news he would need to stand up other than sit down. He pulled himself from the surface of the chair, a long sigh falling from his lips. The Lieutenant didn't know how to feel about his reaction, the bits of silence were beginning to feel overwhelming. He moved to the other side of the tent before continuing to pace, Lee almost smiled. It was. . . Sweet. She supposed, running around his own quarters with his hands held over his mouth. At last, he stopped in front of her, moving his hands from his mouth in order to think. But he stopped himself, pondering for another moment before continuing. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," she replied, an honest answer. Lee Davis didn't know what to do with herself, what this would mean for her, for the team, for Vance. "I know this isn't what either of us wanted."

He laughed, she couldn't believe it. Then again he always seemed to find the light in every situation he got his hands on. She supposed he did have a choice in this matter, completely shut her out and continue on with his life -he didn't seem to be that kind of man but he always had the damn choice. He covered the majority of his face with the palms of his hands, grunting. "Lieutenant-" 

"Lee."

"Lee." He corrected, not sure what he wanted to do with his hands. She pondered if he desired to embrace her, kiss her even. How a husband would to his wife in finding out this news -but they were neither. "I know this wasn't wanted, but please. Stay with me."

She bit her cheek, rolling her blue eyes at those words. "Stay with you." She scoffed, "you're serious. Aren't you?" She wiped her nose with the back of her combat gloves. "The Omega team will only be stationed here as long as the NCR desires it. It's more likely that our next move will be to Camp Searchlight. Especially with the growing Legion population over at Cottonwood Cove."

"I want to be there for you." He replied. She swallowed thickly, not sure of how she got here. What she wanted was this to be no strings attached, as soon as she felt her spirits lifted by the thought of him she knew that this would soon have to stop. What was this then? A damn sign? 

"What? Have me not enlist when the term is up and become your little housewife?"

"No! No-"

"Then what?"

They were back to their smothering silence, pondering what would be jeopardized in their lives if this child were to be born. He raked back his blackened hair, another sigh falling from his lips. "Let's think about this, alright? Wait to see what happens before making any impetuous decisions." She would not repeat his words, but she was almost positive he meant that they should wait to see if she suffered a miscarriage. "Is that alright with you?"

She nodded.

* * *

To put it nicely, it wasn't alright with her. When the fourth month rolled around, she would have to put in the note of pregnancy. Whether it would be tolerated, or unprofessional. Lee Davis decided it would be best to alert her team of the coming child. Spin-Up nearly choked on his Salisbury Steak, Grim was more amused to hear that the Lieutenant wasn't as uptight as he first thought. Sergeant Pepper and Corporal Aarons pulled attempts at being kind. 

"What will happen to the team?" Spin-Up inquired, the only one out of them voicing her same concerns. "The team will fall to shit if they pair us up with some pea-brain replacement."

"I don't have to make my decision yet. The board was just alerted."

"A military baby?" Grim inquired sweetly, trailing off into a sip of his Sunset Sarsaparilla

"She's not going to drag along some damn infant from base to base." Pepper thought for a moment before looking over at Lee. "Wait, are you?"

"No."

"Oh. . ." She nodded, "that's good."

* * *

 

A housewife, or a single mother? Could she manage to pull enough caps together and manage to go back to New California? Perhaps Master Sergeant Vance would decline the frequent traveling if she decided to not enlist, she knew he would. As soon as he said that he wanted to be there for her, she knew the situation wouldn't be easy. 

The restrictions became an annoyance for her, especially when it became evident in her situation. The Omega Team actually seemed to be worried if they would be stationed elsewhere, it made her feel like the weak link. 

"What if we get married?" Vance brought up one morning, she'd gone to the restroom nearly three times and finally gotten a few minutes to get more nourishment in her. She hadn't meant to nearly choke on it at his suggestion. "I'm sorry, that was. . ."

She wiped her mouth. "No, that's not a bad idea."

"What?"

She stared at him, why would he suggest it if he wasn't going to go through with it? "If we were to stay enlisted then we could agree to specific couple terms. With how much my team had aided the NCR in the Mojave, agreeing to not separate the both of us too far would be-"

"Lee, I meant. . ." He paused, sputtering. He set down his fork, muttering something underneath his breath. "I didn't mean get married for military benefits."

At first, the Lieutenant found herself puzzled by his statement, pondering what else the both of them could get out of a marriage. She was embarrassed to say that it took her a few moments before her mouth fell open. "Are you saying you want to marry me?"

"Well. . . Why else would I suggest marriage?"

Damn, she agreed to the suggestion under other means than love. Love? Fuck! Did this mean he loved her? Like they were both ignorant children living out in the Mojave? She knew better than to create a family in this world. Not many outside of the big cities had much of a chance, even then not everything would play in your favor. Now she didn't seem to have much of a choice, unless she purposely went out her way to harm the child inside of her. The idea just made her feel odd, maybe even sick. "You want to marry me for the sole purpose of marrying me." She spoke, he wasn't sure on whether or not that was a question.

It was more than obvious he would never have considered this if she had never become with child, her team would have been stationed elsewhere. She didn't know why they decided to hold back on such, making her appear more dependent than she really was. She found the treatment aggravating. But that look on his face was so convincing that he was doing so only for her that she couldn't find it in her to call him an utter fool. Maybe he had found an interest in her well before the word of pregnancy reached his ears a few months prior. "Of course, I won't push you on it. . . But-" He paused, almost as if he was pondering what he sounded like to her at this moment. "Yes. I do want to marry you for the sole purpose." 

Lee Davis stared at him for a moment, she bit the inside of her cheek before cracking a soft smile. "Wow, you're really something else." She stated before picking a few pieces of charred Yucca plant from her plate. "Out of everyone you could marry out in the Wasteland-"

"-I would choose the woman who could beat my ass and shoot a Legion scout right in the eye from seven hundred yards away? Precisely." 

She opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it. She stuffed her mouth with Yucca before he could see her smile. 

* * *

There was not too much family that she trusted enough (or with stable income) that could raise her child while she was away. Lee wasn't even sure if she trust the child in anyone's hands other than hers. Maybe this was the mother's curse that she had heard well about from woman with children. She always deemed it ridiculous, you could always care for a human life, but worrying whenever they weren't in your arms seemed a bit odd. But now she hadn't even met the child and she already found herself terrified. 

Finding Vance in the mess tent other than the House Resort. She sat down across from him while he was enjoying what seemed to be Cram. "Why are you eating out here when the food up in the House is so much better?" She asked, giving him no time to stick the unsettling bite of food in his mouth. 

She was expecting him to state that he had been too tired to walk all the way there when his personal tent was a few meters away. Instead, he was quiet, running his spoon through the food. A moment after he released a sigh, setting the utensil down to move his gaze up to meet hers. "I need to tell you something."

The look on his face couldn't mean anything good. "What is it?"

He paused, licking his lips before staring down at the bump of their child pressing against the side of the table. "I'm being stationed at Hoover Dam. To secure the NCR's hold on the area from any other factions."

"Wait. . . Now? Out of all the times they could move you, they choose-"

"No, no! I've thought about this." He pushed the plate forward, something inside her mind wanted her to shove the food in her mouth. "Camp Searchlight is exceptionally close to the Hoover Dam. Not to mention it is in need of more soldiers to keep a hold on the airport."

"And of my team?"

"The skills of all of you put together would be more than enough to keep the town stable."

She tapped wordlessly on the surface of the table. "But you'll never be there."

"I'll work something out." 

* * *

 

The conversation was distressing, Lieutenant Lee Davis put in her word to have her team be moved to Camp Searchlight, and in the time of waiting for a reply, Master Sergeant Vance was unable to find out any way of seeing her and the child. His desperation grew until the very day he left. His bags packed and his mind jumbled, his kind soul hidden behind waves of apprehension. He wandered up to her on her way to the House resort at five in the morning with Sergeant Pepper at her side. Fingers latching around her wrist to pull her to a halt. "Lieutenant, good to see you. Can I have a word?"

"Yes, yes of course." The woman turned her attention to Pepper and Aarons who halted at her side. "Fill in for me with the team, sharpshooting in fifteen minutes. Make sure that the targets are further away than they were yesterday."

"No problem, ma'am." 

Her lips stayed pulled into a straight and stern line up until the moment her teammates moved towards the House stairs. Falling down into a somber frown, lips parting to speak to him but he cut her off. "I don't have much time, I don't know what to do."

"You don't have to do anything. It's the NCR who is at fault. They tear families apart if it aids their cause." The use of the word 'family' seemed to ease him, even when he was in a frantic state of mind. "Don't worry about me, or the baby. We'll be fine."

He nodded, inhaling through his nose deeply as he placed both of his hands on his neck. Assuring himself of her words, he blamed himself and she knew that. He dropped his hands before stepping forward and placed a kiss on her lips in the midst of Camp Golf. In all honesty -if he would have done so months before she would have smacked him across the face hard enough to make his ears ring. But now she found herself accepting it, enjoying it perhaps. He didn't move back, she found herself pressing her forehead against his. She heard the difference in his breathing, tone shaking; as if he was holding back tears. "When I get back, I want to marry you."

"Back with this conversation?" She respired, but she couldn't fight back the grin.

"Let me finish." He whispered, his hands resting against the large bump covered by her NCR wraps. "And if I'm not back in time for the baby to be born, then. . . If it is a girl, name her Rowena."

"And what if it's a boy?"

"I don't think it will be a boy."

Lee Davis couldn't help but roll her eyes at that one, "you could be wrong." She reminded solemnly. "If then, I will have no choice but to name him without you."

Vance nodded, a watery chuckle escaping him before he pulled her in for an embrace. His nose buried into the crook of her neck. The Lieutenant didn't stop him, welcoming it as she braced her palms on his shoulder blades. "But, will you marry me when I get back?" He murmured quietly, the words hummed into her skin. The woman almost scoffed, wanting to pay his inquiry no heed as it seemed as foolish as his chosen baby name. 

He had managed to pull a haste laugh from her lips. "If the baby is a girl and named Rowena, then I'll marry you twice." 

* * *

It was. . . Quiet without him. Admitting it was hard. Not having him around for morning protocol, or running into each other throughout the day was odd. It was better for him to leave first and not have to see her off.

The higher-ups approved of them to be stationed over at Camp Searchlight, not even 48 hours after Master Sergeant Vance was restationed. The Lieutenant hadn't seen her team so exhilarated since they found out they were being restationed from California. They didn't exclude her from their celebration, giving her a nice glass of purified water instead of the whiskey Grim stole from the kitchens. They played a six-lane game of Caravan after killing off their last lakelurks of Lake New Vegas, the day had been easy, calm. . . It may have been the first day in a long time that Lee Davis lived for herself.

The coming contractions on the way to Camp Searchlight had done well in reminding her that she was in fact: surviving for two. 

Lee had not been the most cheerful person to be around on the way to their restationing. They were used to the Lieutenant sitting in silence and only speaking up when the rest of the team was beginning to aggravate her, but it was evident that Grim was just getting on her nerves by breathing in a specific pattern. It would have been worse for all of them if that had been subjected to traveling there on foot, god knows the Lieutenant would have sewn their lips shut. 

It had taken nearly a whole week, miserable for the lot of them. But arriving at a place that seemed to have a well put together police station building and the fire department was enough to make their eyebrows raise. A small handful of NCR children playing in the yard of the schoolhouse at times, she was beginning to think that Master Sergeant Vance thought she'd enjoy it here for the sole purpose of tying her down like a dog. But he was right, the town needed defense. A good amount of soldiers had severe radscorpion poisoning and stings, and there were more able doctors than soldiers.

"Lots of doctors. . ." Grim said on their first day. Aarons pleaded with her to go on a patrol with him so he didn't have to be around him. They trotted off to scout the airport for any foes while the rest of the team did so in the surrounding wasteland, Pepper and Spin-Up staying on the roads of the town. "That'll probably be fortunate for you. Think any of them have ever seen a baby come out of a woman's puss-" 

Lee hadn't let him finish that sentence, elbowing him in the gut. 

* * *

When the final day of her pregnancy had rolled around, she hadn't been ready. She had noticed the cramps and contractions becoming much more intense, but it had only made her more bitter to be around. Making her feel incapable when they had become too much to bear, and that she had to stay behind when the team had spotted a few Golden Geckos just a bit west. 

Lee hadn't realized at the time what really was to come on this day, making her way over to the medical tent alongside one of the general goods stores. Hoping that one of the doctors could give her a small dose of Med-x to get her through the day, that was supposed to be it. The baby wasn't supposed to be born until Vance could make some time to visit, in such times she wanted him at her side more than the comfort of her team. The Lieutenant couldn't believe that Omega's support was at last not enough for her, that she needed that spineless bastard Vance at her side instead of her chosen family.  

Lee Davis didn't know if women were known to laugh in the midst of giving birth, if not then she was a different kind. Laughing hysterically because she didn't know what else to do, that soon resulted in agonizing shouts and a string of unimaginable curse words focused on the two doctors in her aid, they were just trying to help -but all the Lieutenant wanted was to cut herself in half in the hopes that the pain would be more tolerable than this. She had been shot on the battlefield before, both had been painful but never fatal -but this was the equivalent of being repeatedly shot in the womb with a service rifle. The time before contractions had been slim to none, it had been nearly an hour before her team had reported back. Their recon armor splattered with Gecko blood and shit-eating grins on their faces. More than likely preparing to tell her about the herd that they took out that was close to the town. 

But those looks had been pulled from their faces like a parent would take radioactive bubblegum from their child's mouth. It was nearly enough to make Lieutenant Davis see the light at the end of the tunnel. But that did not stay long as she began to repeatedly tell them to "keep their fucking heads down and out of the fucking tent before I shoot them off." 

They had taken her seriously, everyone but Sergeant Pepper. It may have been due to the fact that she was a woman, but Lee let her stay. Let her comfort her through the unbearable pain, she could only guess that Grim would be making another one of his pregnant women jokes that hardly had any taste of sensible humor to them. She had only managed to bare four hours, tears of pain leaking from her eyes and more than fed up with this fucking baby that wouldn't get out of her body. 

"Do you want any Med-X, Lieutenant?" One of the kind doctors had asked, Lee Davis could've spat fire.

"OF COURSE I FUCKING DO YOU FUCKING MOTHER-"

Not a very professional ~~and or pleasant~~ way to respond to such a simple inquiry, but she had her reasons and they had understood that. Sergeant Pepper didn't want to laugh, but the lead of the Omega Team had never been short of showing executive behavior and curt respect. It was difficult to not find her responses amusing, as ear wrenching as it was to have her shouting loud enough for the nearby Legion members pushing their way into the Mojave. 

Hours stretched on, the sun went down before there were any signs of progression. The dose of Med-X had aided the medics in successfully getting her through the birth without completely damaging her vocal cords. The pain suppressor had aided the most, her vulgar commentary had calmed down -much to Sergeant Pepper's dismay. But in nearly ten hours the child had been born, crying into the night like the stars above were a curse. The pain of living in the Mojave, much to learn for them. 

"She's a girl, Lieutenant." One of the physicians had stated, cutting the umbilical cord at the appropriate timing, the baby was set into her arms, sobbing profusely. Lee's lip trembled, thankfully Sergeant Pepper had retreated into the town to get some sleep a few hours before. It felt too motherly to weep over the birth of her baby, her daughter. 

So, this was Rowena. . . She almost felt defeated having to admit it. "Dammit, I'll have to marry him twice." She mused, rolling her tear-filled eyes.

 


	2. Closer To The Villains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos." - Mary Shelley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Lee Davis and her team! This is called a slow burn for a reason! Love the characters so they get ripped away from you~~~~  
> Enjoy this, even if you didn't come bere for it. It's one more chapter after this and it does a decade skip and Elest/Rowena is 13 with her sister.

The makeshift tents in the distance rustled with the wind, the five of them could hear an echo of incomprehensible words coming from the individuals on the lower ground. The Omega team took cover far up on the boulders overlooking the scene, weapons in hand. 

"They aren't speaking our language, what is that?" Spin-Up inquired, peeking through his scope to stare down at the Legion camp manifesting in the pre-war vacation lot known as Cottonwood Cove.

"Latin. Morbid cunts stole it straight from their history books." Corporal Aarons removed the lit cigarette from his lips, tapping it on Grim's barrel. The ash fell onto his partner's left forearm.

"Ouch! What the fu-"

"Eyes sharp." Lieutenant Lee Davis commanded, they knew better than to go against her orders. This was her first mission since the birth of her daughter, Rowena, nearly two months ago. She'd be damned before she allowed the lot of them to disappoint under her watch. "Aarons, put that out. If they see the smoke then we're all dead."

"Fine," with embitterment, he took one last drag before crushing the filter into the baking sand. It left a small circle of discolored ash and wax paper in its wake. His NCR wraps scratching at the dry ground when he shifted.  "Anyone have a target?" He inquired, pulling his scarf up to conceal the bottom half of his face. Sticking his eyes near his scope. 

"10 o'clock. A 50 Cal thrown over his shoulders. Do I take the hit?" Grim's lips were pulled into a broad grin, the squad suspected that it was due to the dearly missed presence of Lieutenant Lee Davis. No one was more relieved to see her eyes roll than Grim. He reached out to steady the bipod keeping up his sniper rifle, not moving his head from the scope. 

"Only if you're looking to make a statement. He's wandering towards the guy who bears all signs of being a Vexillarius." Lee Davis grumbled underneath her breath. 

It was, unfortunately, true, the rest of them tracked their sights up a bit north. Making out a man in crimson with a coyote skin headwear concealing his appearance. The legionaries nodded heads as a respectful greeting before beginning to babble in Latin to one another. It went on for a few more moments before the lower rank gestured to the stone building behind them. It had two floors connected by a set of metal stairs that rode up the wall. Lee released a scoff, removing the sunglasses from her eyes. 

"They've already sent a Vexillarius to this cluster fuck?" Sergeant B. Pepper asserted in disbelief, utter distaste at the growing population not even a mile from Camp Searchlight. "We're fucked if this place doesn't get brought down immediately. If a Centurion pops up then we're all going to be mongrel chow in a few months." 

"Do you think this has to do with that dam being found?" Spin-Up asked, his tone quiet. He jerked his weapon closer to Grim's so he could get a clear look at the dozen of tents sprawled out to the left of the stone building. Trying to determine how many were currently sleeping further into the morning. 

They decided not to comment, the team didn't want to think about the probability of a war being started between the New California Republic and Caesar's Legion. For all that they knew, they were gaping at the start of something big, bigger than what the five of them could handle. "So it's like a vacation resort, but for meddling bitches." Grim whispered, one of the few things he said that all of them could agree with. "Are we holding fire or what?" 

"Holding fire." The Lieutenant respired, hand moving up to pull down her mask so it rested underneath her chin. "Not until we know what in god's name it is that they are doing here."

* * *

The walk back was more miserable, and quiet than it was when they first trodded to their destination. Team Omega didn't know what to think, weapons held over their shoulders and bipods tight between their fingers. 

"Maybe it's the start of a slave transport, you know." Spin-Up stifled out, scratching his head underneath his 1st Recon Beret. "That is one of the Legion's known marketing. And if they're coming in from Arizona-" 

"Then they're coming for NCR territory and Vegas." Pepper spat, shaking her head. "That's been obvious from day one, what does Caesar want? Power. That and somewhere to stick his dick."

"He won't win." Corporal Aarons assured, "he can try all he wants but someone with no integrity and bondage as their drive for conquering won't get more than hell in their following years."

"Not to mention the Legion is a fucking sausage party." Grim cut in, they all rolled their eyes, grumbling and groaning on how he didn't need to add in a comment like that. The newest member of the Omega team looked more offended by their repulsion. "What? You're going to tell me I'm wrong? Not one woman in that army? That's no way to rule, man. No way."

If they hadn't been quiet before, then Grim's commentary completely brought them to a discontented silence. Trying their damnedest to pay the glaring sun no heed while traveling back to Camp Searchlight. Rowena would likely be growing weary of the nurses and seek the arms of her mother, Lee longed for such. As much as she wanted to stay out in the field and find what it was that Caesar’s Legion was planning, her daughter had become her first priority. 

Nevertheless, Vance still had not shown his face in Camp Searchlight. For all she knew, he was stuck in the terrain neighboring Hoover Dam, nothing more than orders to secure it from the Brotherhood of Steel and Caesar's Legion coming in from Arizona (though she could guess that raiders were more of an issue than either of those factions). It meant nothing more than pestering orders from Californian businessmen who didn't even know what this Pre-war sculpture was. The Master Sergeant didn't even know that he had a daughter. Sending a letter to him would be as fruitless as sending him a holotape all spoken in a tribal language. The NCR would ink out anything speaking of Military issues and where they were both stationed, to the point where Vance would be handed a letter with nothing more than black lines. It would be better for her to march up to the Pre-War structure and speak to him face-to-face.

It was sickening of the NCR to do what they were doing, keeping a father from his newborn child all over some shit they didn't even know anything about. This thing they were calling a Dam was reasonably nothing more than an extravagant bridge, not that she'd ever seen it. Supposedly a border between two lands, the Mojave and Arizona. Vance wasn't irreplaceable in this project, they could give him a week to see his family who weren't even a two-hour walk away. Raiders and rival factions were an issue everywhere, not just on a Pre-war wall. 

And so they walked, reaching Camp Searchlight had been easy enough, they had their fill of sunlight so it was a nice change to be in the midst of shaded buildings. The medics were thrilled to see the Lieutenant return, claiming that her daughter missed her dearly while she was on duty. It hadn't been more than a couple of hours, but Lee learned quickly that children were quite clingy. Not that she minded. 

"Be careful, Lieutenant." The woman said, smoothing out the ruffles on her lab coat with the back of her hand. "She's hungry."

"That's a relief," Grim stated, Lee wished she dispersed the team before seeking out her daughter. "You know what that means, whip them gams out."

"You're dismissed. All of you." Lieutenant Davis replied rigorously before Corporal Aarons could finish pushing his partner's shoulder. 

"Fuckin' idiot." Sergeant pepper groused, arms crossed as she sauntered towards the police station.

* * *

Concerns. . . Were growing. 

Before the Omega Team knew it, the lot of them had been stationed here for four months. Rowena was three months old, and not met her father just yet. But Lee tried to keep her notions elsewhere, like on the forming Legion Camp just East of Camp Searchlight. 

There hadn't been much progression with their foes at Cottonwood Cove, no Centurion had been sent, if so then the fucker hadn't shown his face around camp long enough for the 1st recons to lodge a bullet in his skull. Not to mention the Gecko attacks had paused for a few days, only to be replaced with more radscorpions. 

"Grim!" The Lieutenant shot a round into one of the mutant scorpion's many eyes as the junior stumbled back to crash down on the cement, rifle falling before him. The force of the bullet puncturing the creature's skin ended its life, its large stinger falling limp. She joined the Recon’s side, his left hand wrapped tightly around his shoulder. NCR wraps torn and blood staining wherever it could reach. "You idiot! Why were you so close?!"

"Oh come on Lieutenant! What I did was badass!"

"Shut _up_. Put more pressure on the wound. How do you feel?"

He scrunched his face up, face pale as he tried to consider his current situation. "Like some fucked up raider just shot me up with a dose of _whatever,_ " he grumbled, eyes looping, "in this case, radscorpion cum."

"Will you stop it?" Lee Davis snapped, for all she knew he'd begin running out into the wasteland in hopes that another scorpion would sting him. Get himself in one of the doctor's beds and not have to do any work for a couple of days. "Get up, the camp's not too far. Come on." She wrapped her arm around his torso and pulled him to his feet. He hissed, trying not to move his shoulder or the position of his hand.

"Can't you just radio for backup?" He asked through gritted teeth, the way his words poured over the other was a dead giveaway that the poison was causing quick effects. She hauled him forward, ignoring his aggravating commentary until they reached the main roads. Slipping through the rusting gates and out of the airport. They expected this transfer to be a handful, but it never seemed to end. Camp Searchlight didn't appear to be a safe place to raise any child like some of the soldiers here, her included. 

"Where did your partner say he was?" Lee demanded, it was like dragging around the dead body of a deathclaw, but worse. Considering Grim could talk on top of moaning and groaning. 

"God, uhm. . ." His eyebrows knotted together, his skin greying, "I think he said the church, one with the fucking sign. For some reason." He stumbled over his own boots. "Take me to the hot doctor. The one who only clasps her coat up to the third button." He hummed in delight. Would he have grounds to resign and take legal action against her if she dragged him by his legs? They were just supposed to kill the giant radscorpion and he decided to throw himself into the fire, he was like a toddler with an ungovernable passion for showing his inadequate skills.

It didn't take too long to get him to medical. The doctors didn't look delighted to have another injured soldier to take care of, but they couldn't protest. 

"You're getting whoever is available. Now sit on the bed, don't try to squeeze the venom out. That won't do anything."

"You're just going to leave me here?"

Lee rolled her eyes. "There's nothing I can do for you, I'm not a doctor."

"Sing to me then, like you do Rowena, please?"

God, it was enough to know that taking antivenom would put him in enough agony. Lee decided to leave him without another word, nodding her head at the doctor on her way out. Grim would be fine, he was a dramatic case but once there was no audience, he would clasp his lips. 

The church, that wasn't the first place she would check for Corporal Aarons, then again he was a gift that kept on giving. She could only guess that Sergeant B. Pepper was in their barracks with Rowena, and Spin-Up was still in the police station, writing in reports for the Omega Team. Lee Davis would have to thank both of them later. 

Making her way up to the chapel had been peaceful, but haste, a few soldiers saluting her as she passed, followed with a respective "Lieutenant." Or "Ma'am." It was like being back in California. Her name known, but much less hectic. Upon reaching the house of prayer, she noticed the stain glass window above the Mahogany double doors, the glass cracked and on its last limb but seemed sturdy and in much better condition than the one closer to the Schoolhouse. She couldn't say the same for the roof, rose up and resembling a giant's toe in a kid's storybook. Lee exhaled deeply, removing her rust-colored Beret and continuing onward.

She pushed open one of the doors. Inside, wasn't what most would anticipate a pre-war building of god to look like. In fact, most of the rows of wooden benches were taken away and propped up against the walls, like extra protection that the thin walls could not provide. But on one of the few remaining rows, the corporal resided in the middle of the seating, his head hanging low and she could only guess that his hands were folded in front of him. 

She was silent, wandering down the aisle closer to the man. Much like her, he had removed his beret so his unkempt head of brown hair was loose. "We've known each other for almost nine years, and I never knew you were the religious type." 

He didn't seem shocked to find her presence, he must have heard her come in. "And I didn't know you were a natural blonde for almost a year." He sighed, shifting on the surface of the seat before unfolding his hands. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

"Grim got himself stung by a radscorpion while on my watch, he decided to run ahead. It didn't end well." Lee Davis rested the palm of her hand on the shoulder of the bench, Aarons snorted. "And since he's your partner-"

"I have to go explain why I wasn't with him. Annoying little bastard. . ." He complained but did not seem too crossed to have to leave, perhaps it was the silence of the place that was beginning to unsteady him. There was always something about pre-war buildings that would do that to you. "I'll go see him now, he's in the doctor's tent, right?" When Lee nodded, he shrugged, he should have been expecting so.

"What were you praying for, Aarons?" She asked, sheer curiosity. Not many had their trust in God above, that and if they existed anyhow. The Corporal seemed to turn sheepish at her inquiry. Opening and closing his mouth to bite his tongue. 

"Oh," a drawn-out silence resumed. They could hear the shouts of soldiers from outside the exterior, young children screaming and laughing. Aarons scratched the back of his shoulder. "Clean water, you know?" He paused, swallowing thickly. "Listening to the radio makes me want to hope for the future."

"A future where we don't need to survive on Cactus water, you mean?"

"Not to mention it would be nice not needing to take Rad-X every time I want to fucking clean myself." He sighed, chuckling to himself before making his way to the door. Once the door had been shut behind him, Lee couldn't help but think about his words spoken, surely the soldiers had it better than most. Or at least the Omega team, the best needed to be "healthy" and "strong". After being enlisted they didn't need to worry about dirty water as much as they did growing up. The Wasteland needed a miracle. If no one could clean up unwanted wars and morbid behavior, the least they could all do is find a way to completely purify the water they put in their bodies. 

Easier said than done, she supposed.

* * *

"God, would you shut that shit off? It's giving me a headache." Grim allowed his head fall back against the hard mattress, a distressed groan falling from his lips. Even Antivenom and a dose of Med-X hadn't been enough to completely knock him out, much to Team Omega’s annoyance. 

Spin-Up slammed his palm on the surface of the old and quite rattled radio. John Henry Eden's voice scratching against the speakers and filling the area of the tent. "Get up and try to shut it off then." He taunted. 

"Say that again and I'll really do it."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Stop it. Both of you. If you wake up my daughter then you’re putting her back to sleep." Lee Davis snapped, interrupting their meaningless quarrel. She resumed holding Rowena in silence, brushing her fingers through the gather red hair on the top of her head. Grim grumbled muddled words under his breath. 

 _"That's right, America. Before we were devastated by atomic war, each sta_ te _had its OWN professional baseball team. "_

"What's up with Eden and his obsession with baseball?" Spin-Up muttered underneath his breath. "Imagine if President Wendell had his own radio station." Those words managed to pull a few dry laughs from Grim and Aarons.

"How'd you even manage to get the signal all the way from the Capital Wasteland anyway?" Aarons asked, breaking his own silence from his placement beside the Lieutenant. Biting back his question on whether or not he could hold Rowena. 

"I don't think it's the original." Spin-Up said, dialing down the volume until the Enclave president's voice was down to a murmur. "Some Enclave representative is probably trying to lure a bunch of people to the Capital, so they're running it across the Wasteland. But that's only a guess." 

"Not gonna lie, he has some good quotes." 

Their commentary had run on long enough, Grim had insisted that Spin-Up help him take off his pants because it was too hot. And he actually aided the Recon in removing them, as humiliating as it was for him to do. Lieutenant Lee Davis let them be, only shushing them if they became too disruptive. Grim only got more exasperating when he then became too cold, insisting that they help him put his wraps back on. 

With those words, they had looked at Corporal Aarons who had his boot resting on the surface of the doctor's desk. "He's your partner." Spin reminded coldly, Aarons had perked up. Picking at the grime underneath his own fingernails. 

"There's a fucking difference between partner and babysitter."

"Oh fuck you." Grim groaned, as if too exhausted to completely insult his teammates more than he already had. "How do you have a Corporal rank when your aim is more shitty than a trooper's." 

He could have said worse, to the point where it would be acceptable grounds to merely leave him here alone with nothing more than the antivenom in his veins and his unpredicted body temperature. But he could hardly keep his eyes open, let alone fire off insults at everyone who looked at his hairy legs funny. Either way, his time had been cut short when Sergeant Pepper had shown up at the entrance of the tent. She released an exasperated sigh, moving right over to Aarons, setting a clipboard on his thighs and turning her attention to the Lieutenant. 

"Guess who just arrived and is at the police station waiting for you?" Pepper inquired, taking note of the baby girl in their leader's arms. 

"Don't say Vance."

"It's Master Sergeant Vance."

God, she didn't know how those words would make her feel once spoken in real time. Nor had Lee Davis really tried to think about it, but with Rowena in her arms, the baby's mouth opens slightly and her eyes closed, chubby face pressed against her NCR wraps. She couldn't imagine how Vance would react, what he would say. 

It felt like it had been years since she had seen him, then again many things had changed since they last exchanged words. Her heart throbbed, chills running down the length of her arms. Lee pulled herself from the office chair, the movement had not disrupted her daughter's slumber; wide blue eyes shifting to Corporal Aarons. "I won't be back."

The Lieutenant brushed past Sergeant Pepper, who had a small grin tugging at the corner of her lips. As she left she could hear the soft murmurs of Grim breathlessly complaining that they still hadn't helped him put his pants back on. 

Oh god, the Pre-war police station was almost too close. At this rate, she wouldn't be able to catch her breath before seeing the man face-to-face. The Lieutenant shuddered, trying to keep her breathing rate at a minimum. Turning right, she followed down the road until coming close to the disheveled building. The condition not as prime as the Fire station but they were not ones to complain. 

Fuck, they had really let him back at last. Lee Davis marched up to the entrance of the building, what could have been so damn important to the NCR that they decided not to allow a man to see his child for the first four months of her life? Maybe she didn't want to know, didn't care enough. She adjusted Rowena gently in order not to trouble the child. Freeing her hand to turn the knob of the door and haul it open from its placement. 

The lighting was dim in the Cantina. The desk in front of the door had no receptionist sitting behind it, only by good fortune. She glanced to her left over by the two cola machines, and in the last vermillion colored seating, she saw him.

"Vance."

He jerked up, brown eyes wrenching up from their trance state on his fingers. Lee first noticed the sickly color he had overtaking the hue of his skin, allowing the dark and deep circles underneath his eyes to appear more evident. From the loss of sleep and distress. His gloved hand moved up to his head to remove the prominent cowboy hat he had on his hair, exposing frizzy and unclean locks. He nearly fell back on the cushioning from how quickly he had pulled his ass from the chair, lips separated and open with shock. 

"Lee, _Le_ -"

"Do _not_ shout." She ordered. And damn it all to hell, his reaction had completely pulled a ghostly smile from the depths of her soul. He wandered over to her, hands moving from his side and forward; appearing like he didn't know what to do with them. "You'll wake her up."

"Oh my god." Vance looked like he would choke on his own tongue, his clenched hand moving up to his bottom lip. " _Her_?" The Master Sergeant sputtered, holding back a few loud bursts of excitement. "A girl? A fucking daughter? I'm really a da-"

"Okay, calm down." Almost chuckling at his exhilaration, he was like a young child on the morning of a holiday. "Do you want to hold Rowena?" She inquired softly, the stress from his features nearly melted at the sound of the name rolling off of her tongue. She might as well press her own nose straight into the sand, he had gotten exactly what he had wanted. If she hadn't known any better she would have said Vance was on the brink of tears. His hands were trembling as she slowly pulled their daughter from her placement against her chest, head pulling from the crane of her neck.  

She shushed the child quietly once Rowena began to stir, Vance took hold of the girl. His right palm pressing against the back of her head. He shuddered, swallowing thickly as he swayed from foot-to-foot. 

"How long do you have?" Lee asked. It was better to get those questions out of the way so the three of them could enjoy the time that they had. 

The Master Sergeant paused, Rowena released a sweet little "uhh" as she awoke. Thankfully not beginning to cry at the realization that her mother was no longer holding her. The Lieutenant could tell that Vance did not look the same, the light in his eyes had dampened with stress. His jaw unclenched, exhaling deeply. "About a month, nothing more. We weren't expecting the raiders and Legion, but they were there."

"How many?"

"Several dozen. Desert Rangers are next, I know they are. I'm shocked they even gave me leave." His eyes darted down to the cracked tiles, for a moment they were silent, only able to hear the persistent chatting and typing from the terminal room right behind the desk. "They said it was secured, Lee. They lied straight through their teeth about NCR being the ones to find it. It was the Legion. A dozen men weren't enough."

"Maybe we should have stayed in Camp Golf." The Lieutenant muttered under her breath, she couldn't even remember why she found it a pleasant idea to join up with the NCR. Help a good cause that deserved more preeminence? It was just about power, and if a few lies is what it took to stabilize their support, then so be it. They were no better than the other factions. And just as shit as the Enclave, vertibirds or not. 

Damn, maybe he didn't just want an office job. "When was the last time you slept well?" She asked. The bags underneath his eyes told their own story. Too long. He didn't reply, placing a pitiful kiss on their daughter's ear with his eyes lulled. "Come on."

_* * *_

Shutting the door behind them from the rest of Camp Searchlight had been the first step to relaxation. Lee hadn't felt the ease in her shoulders since she had been picked out at the firing range to be part of the 1st Recons. The way that Vance had been holding their daughter had not aided in such, fearing that the man would allow the baby to slip from his hands.

"Is this your home?" He asked, hesitantly complying when the Lieutenant reached for their child. Shifting Rowena from shoulder-to-shoulder. He glanced around what seemed to be attempts at modeling a living room. An empty bookshelf shoved against the right wall, a stray coffee table in front of a pearl colored sofa, a presentable radio sat just below a blank television set. 

"Ours." Davis corrected, as much as it pained her. "It is, the Omega team did not appreciate having to wake up to Rowena crying every hour." She patted their daughter's back gently, she stepped away from the foot of the door. "I'll go put her down so we can talk."

"I'll help you." Vance insisted, the lieutenant rolled her eyes.

"In your dreams. Sit down."

Grudgingly, he had complied. Now that he was back for the short time the NCR had given. Lee could only guess that he did not want to waste the precious seconds he got to spend with her and his child. Vance clasped his hands together to keep himself from involuntarily fidgeting, he ambled around the layout of the space. He first moved to sit down on the surface of the couch. Finding that it was much more comfortable than the beds he had been given back at the Hoover Dam, craning his head to the left, he inspected the dials of the radio sitting on a wooden bedside table. 

Vance turned down the volume prior to pressing the power button. The speakers sprang to life and begun to spout off the last radio broadcast emitted. 

_"Rest assured, I will not make the mistakes of my predecessors. When John Henry Eden builds a countr-"_

He clicked to the next station, a fuzzy connection but otherwise a nice instrumental tune hummed through the air. He let his mind fade in and out as he sat down restlessly on the couch. He could hear Lee's tranquil tone as she laid their daughter down for a nap, 

The Master Sergeant didn't know he would need this as much as he did. To get away from all of that war and blood, all over a place that they found due to a dismantled billboard.

He didn't want to go back, because as soon as those raiders and scavengers were cleared out, another issue would immerse to take the place of the last. He was tired, and all he wanted was to just stay here. Make this his home and make family in a wasteland where things like that were taken away. 

Footsteps sauntering down the hall was a signal that the Lieutenant had been able to lay their child down, Appearing a few minutes after in the foot of the living room. For a moment she had just stared at him. 

Releasing a sigh, "you need to sleep." Lee stated, her tone calm and collected. Vance pressed his hand on the arm of the sofa to aid in pulling himself to his feet. The woman watched him gather his thoughts, his eyes hollow, sullen. 

It happened to him, the same damn thing that happened to the greater part of the NCR troopers and soldiers who served out in the field, taking lives that were surely not theirs to take. The optimistic mindset she had grown to appreciate had left him, and Lee dread to find out if this trance state would possess him for long. His lips parted and he stepped towards her. 

"Vance, talk to me."

His jaw was clenched, and he was now close enough that she could reach out to place her palm over his bicep. Vance couldn't form a reply, instead, he quietly stepped forward to envelop her into a tight embrace. His hands were clasped over her waist with his brow bone resting on Lee’s shoulder, he had more than a decade with the NCR to his name and somehow it had taken him this long to become washed away.

It felt like he was trying to crush her ribcage with the strength of his arms, even with their wraps a good inch thick for the both of them, she could see feel the contracting of his abdomen as he held back the emotion whirling in his gut. If she were to pull back, the Lieutenant was positive she would see a coat of tears clouding his eyes. Lee rose her arms, wrapping the limbs around the small of his back to hold him close.

Vance coughed, a congested noise muffled into her attire. "I'm sorry I wasn't here." He whispered hoarsely. 

"How could that ever be your fault?" She inquired, her tone stirring and Lee could feel disgust boiling inside of her. "It's the NCR who should be expressing their remorse. Not-"

"I could have demanded leave." He interrupted, the embitterment towards himself was growing more evident as their conversation progressed. Lieutenant Davis pulled her hands from his neck, turning his head to look at her directly. Mousy gaze brimmed with tears, the strings of blood vessels in the whites of his eyes were a bright scarlet, his iris' trembling as they tried to focus on hers.

Why was he dwelling? He could have written in a four-page long report requesting that he have leave to be there for her in the time of pregnancy, but that would have been it. Nothing more than a week or so before Vance would be called back to the Hoover Dam, unable to see his daughter until the NCR voluntarily released him. 

Instead of replying, the woman stared at him. Her jaw clenched and her lips pulled into their familiar frown. He had been the first to tear away, unable to look at the woman when she seemed to silently consider him a fool for wishing to change something in the past. 

The protrude at the front of his neck bobbed slightly.

"Stop blaming yourself. You're here now, and that's what matters." She snapped irritably. Nevertheless, he could sense the troubled undertone in her words. Vance knew that she did not know what he had seen, and him not being able to speak the words out loud was not allowing the woman to lessen her care for the situation. 

He had killed before, that was not his issue. But it was the way he had to carry out the orders this specific time that made him feel like nothing more than a passenger in his own body. He could still hear the voices in his head, his comrades screaming and gunshots thickening in his ears. Troops being bludgeoned to death by some crazed raider drugged off their asses on slasher. Others completely begging for mercy right before his eyes, beseeching for their lives to be spared.

Only for him to pull the trigger. Not knowing whether or not that had been the way of the person with lower ground trying to manipulate him. He would never in his life know whether or not the person before him was sincerely pleading for their skin to be spared. 

He stared at her, the mother of his child, the Lieutenant of the Omega 1st Recon team from New California, or just Lee. Whatever she wanted to be addressed as, he stared at her. Wanting nothing more than to ask her how he could forgive himself, how he could simply move on and try to spend the time he had in Camp Searchlight with ease. But he couldn't spit the words out. 

"What. . . What can I do?" He asked, the inquiry could be taken several ways. Frankly, the both of them couldn't pinpoint exactly what the Master Sergeant meant by it. Lee Davis grinned, perhaps it was her way of smiling in such a situation, but it appeared much more dampened and bleak. 

"You can do exactly what you said you would do before we left Camp Golf." She stated, it was all that had kept him going since he had been deployed to that Pre-War structure, but now he could hardly remember what it was he had been so driven to come back to. 

Come back here and marry this woman, become the best damn father he could ever be, and, live happily ever after. 

When he didn't respond, Lee released a subdued sigh. Her hand reached out to catch his, the specific type of intimacy he was not used to her commencing. Vance had been the one to kiss her or take her hands, she was always fumbling with his belt buckle or something along those amorous lines. 

"We can think about everything tomorrow, but right now let's just lay down."

Tomorrow, he could work with that. A day further away from the things he had seen and the things he had done. His eyes ran up to stare into the hallway where Lee had once disappeared in order to set their daughter down. 

"Vance," She spoke to catch his attention. He snapped back, eyes glazed and cold like glass. He managed a nod. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh? The chapter was pretty eh and it took me like a month and a half to write. Next chapters will be more productive, probably.
> 
> Hopefully.


	3. All It Takes To Form The Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Pain, pleasure, and death are no more than a process for existence. The revolutionary struggle in this process is a doorway open to intelligence.” -Frida Kahlo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has taken longer than expected to post, I've had this written for a while but could not bring myself to edit it. So THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY FRIEND ZAINA WHO TOOK THE TIME OUT OF HER DAY TO EDIT FOR ME SO I COULD POST IT TODAY
> 
> Enjoy bitches.

**The year is 2259**

 

“Are you sure you'll be fine?" 

Lee stared at him, a question he seemed to throw around a lot the past month he'd been on holiday in Camp Searchlight. Nearly every time those wretched words escaped his lips, she rolled her eyes.

"My team has dealt with worse." And the ways she could elaborate on that, tell him the tales of her most mighty kills while venturing through the East with her team, or the time spent back home in New California. "And I will not allow my team to go into battle without me at their side."

"But what about Row-"

"What makes you think a band of Legion will take me out?"

Take _us_ out. . . 

-

"Oh fucking shit. . . _Fuck_." Grim banged his hand on the wall of their assembled shack up on the rocks, overlooking Cottonwood Cove. His exclaim pulled Lee from her thoughts of Vance and her daughter, looking up at Spin-Up and Aarons who huddled closer to their youngest recon. Sergeant B. Pepper shook her head in disapproval with the way her teammates attempted to peer through the same scope. Pepper pulled her binoculars from her belt, observing through them as Grim shoved his teammates out of his space.

After a few moments, her shoulders stiffened and her lips parted with surprise. "Aarons you owe me twenty caps." She said, in no way relieved with her winnings. "Lieutenant, three o'clock. We're fucked."

The Sergeant's words made their Lieutenant pull herself from the surface of her unstable chair. Lee reached out and took the instrument from Pepper's fingers, staring through at the Legion base on the lower ground.

A lot of progress could be made in less than a month, and the Legion were known for moving quickly. Nonetheless, the Omega Team didn't think they were daft (or valiant) enough to migrate so close to a thriving NCR settlement: Camp Searchlight. When the Lieutenant looked down at the waving tents and able bodies of Legion men carrying out their daily tasks, she felt her heart sink.

"Oh, that's just fucked up."

It was almost as if the Legionnaires could sense their presence from among the rocks, staring down at them with their guns prepared to fire. The legionaries had lined up several ill-fated NCR soldiers in the hot sand. Young men and women with their hands bound behind their backs with filthy rags stuffed inside of their mouths. Their eyes were wide and their lips struggled to form pleas through their restraints.      

Why Lee had to gawp, she didn't know. She was unable to make out the fresh faces before a broad set man marched in front of the first bounded boy. The legionary's armor was nothing she had ever seen before, as every piece of it was unlike the next. All taken from different plates and leathers, perhaps from his fallen foes, victims. The team went still, even Grim who just seconds before was bickering with Aarons to stop breathing on him. 

The sounds of terrorized screams echoed up the rocks and to their ears. The hairs on Lee's arms stood up, the legionary's back faced Team Omega and blocked the sight of the bounded soldier. They couldn't see what he had done, but with the gore-stained machete in his right hand, and the body of an NCR soldier collapsing to their side, it became clear.

He stepped to his side, moving down the line of troopers that would be massacred one by one. The deceased soldier laid in the sand, his throat sliced open with blood beading on the sand. The scarlet was able to be seen from a distance with or without a scope. The soldier next in line was a woman, she was able to shake off her gag, her words nothing but an incoercible begs from where the 1st Recons resided. Soon they were cut short, and she fell to the ground by her companion.

Sergeant Pepper was the first to act, gently taking the binoculars from their Lieutenant's hands, "we need to take them out. Now."   

"I can take the shot right now, Lieutenant," Grim stated eagerly, but only out of bile for the death he was compelled to witness. "One word and I can take this fucker out."

Lee Davis clenched her jaw, her teeth aching underneath the pressure. By all means, that could have been her team down there. In another world, she could have been in that position instead of some unnamed patrol squad. How the Legion could merely kill someone all for being determined to fight for their freedom made her feel nauseous, still, this was much better than some of the executions put into action by Caesar's Legion.

Still not right, just shoot them in the fucking skull if you want a mercy kill. Don't take the heads off their necks. 

"Everyone find a target," Lee ordered, her words curt, god only knows that she meant them. Her hands hauled her rifle from its placement strung over her back. The team scrambled into action, lining up underneath the shaded rocks and sheet metal ceiling of the shack they scouted in. 

"I got the centurion," Grim spoke, finger already ghosting over the trigger as his partner, Corporal Aarons began to set his rifle over the stockpiled sacks. 

"Keep him alive," Lee ordered, Spin-Up glanced over at their leader in an apprehensive manner. It was not wise to spare a member of the Legion, as if the tables had been turned, they wouldn't give the Lieutenant the same fate. 

"Why?" Sergeant B. Pepper asked, the question on the rest of the team's mind. Besides Corporal Aarons, who had his attention held elsewhere, eyes scanning the area of Cottonwood Cove for a suitable target. He was always the one to follow orders with no questions asked, perhaps he was too indolent to quarrel with her, that or he trusted her. As they had known each other since the first month of her enlistment. 

"You'll see." The Lieutenant took her place between Spin-Up and Sergeant Pepper, hastily setting up her equipment. She didn't like the idea of them waiting for her, especially with fellow NCR soldiers' lives on the line. 

"On three, you hear?" Davis inquired, she rested the barrel of her trusted sniper alongside her comrades. Cocking the rifle back and peering through her scope, her eyes set on the calf of the Centurion in hopes that she could at the most, wound him. "If you see someone then you-"

" _Lieutenant_ ," Grim pleaded. His index finger twitching over the trigger, his eyes staring intently at his target through his scope. Lee nodded.

The countdown went down quick, and the sound of their gunshots rang in their ears as well as in the surrounding area. Team Omega was notoriously known for never missing their targets, and today had been nothing shy of the truth.

Lee's bullet lodged itself into the meat of the centurion's leg, he stumbled at the sudden shock with his machete falling to the sand below. Chaos erupted, and the quicker the team fired, the slimmer the chances of being spotted became.

But that wasn't enough for Lieutenant Lee Davis.

Her stern expression was dominated by a sullen scowl, her eyes hardened and cold. Catching sight of a scout closer to the roads, she shot her bullet in his direction and watched the ammunition sink through his vizard. They were dropping like flies, and the remaining NCR soldiers saw their chance of escaping with their lives and took it, scampering to their feet. In the corner of Team Omega's sights, they could make out four troopers darting for the roads.

Sergeant B. Pepper aided them, firing her next bullet into the chest of a Legionary Explorer that pursued after them.

"Everyone move in closer, we're going to solid ground," Davis ordered. 

"You're shitting me." Grim snapped over the noise, attempting to keep his eyes trained on their foes below as he secured the stock of his weapon against his chest. He paused as the sound of his teammate's firing drowned out his words. "We're snipers, not some fucking martial art dipshi-"

The flour sack Grim rested his knee against split open at the force of a metal spear suddenly severing through the material. His words were interrupted immediately at the notice of nearly losing his life. Aarons made the first move, spinning around to take note of the faceless man in Legion attire with a javelin in his hand.

Without orders from the Lieutenant, he scrambled to his feet and scuttled to the man who tried to take his partner's life. Before another spear could be thrown, the Corporal knocked the legionnaire off his feet. Lee didn't have time to think about the actions put into place, tearing away from her scope. Grim's who's eyes were wide with shock. 

If there is one, there's more.

"New AOR." The Lieutenant snapped, pulling herself from the ground. She left her rifle abandoned on the flooring of the shack prior to rushing to Aarons’s aid five feet from the entrance of the shed. The Recon had his fingers wrapped around the shaft of their enemy's lance as he fought to peel it from his fingers. Lee reached for the handgun on her belt while the Legionary shoved the Corporal off of his chest, sending Aarons to the sand alongside him. He was just about to launch himself on top of the recon to stab the spear through his neck when Davis switched the safety of her side-arm off and fired a few caps of ammunition into the legionnaire's chest. 

It was her responsibility to keep her teammates safe, Aarons looked up at her once he raised his head from the rigid and hard rocks. Lee nodded at him, thanks was not needed, especially in the few seconds during their exchange. The Lieutenant turned her attention back to Pepper, Spin, and Grim. 

"Lower ground, we're going to take out these bastards." 

This time, there wasn't a word of dispute uttered.

* * *

The sun burned holes into their backs, without the shade and with little to no space between Team Omega and their enemies, it was a bit too hands on for their taste. But as long as it was the neck of Caesar's Legion they were twisting, the lot of them would take out their opponents with their bare hands if deemed necessary.

There was something about the look that Lee Davis had in her eyes that encouraged her squad to eliminate their targets by all means necessary. The final words of Caesar's men were cut short by the bullet of the 1st recons. Grim had gained his spark back, and after nearly having his lungs punctured by a sharp spear, he felt compelled to take out more men than his partner. 

A final gunshot rang out, given by Sergeant Pepper who's expression remained impassive and no witty words were thrown around before ending the lives of the men on the end of the barrel. Grim smiled in satisfaction, skin clammy and hands trembling. Aarons ignored his split lip and bruising jawline.

Lee Davis focused her attention on the Centurion that still kept his life, nearly ten feet away from where she had once shot him from up on the rocks. A narrow line of blood chasing after him as he inched away, a humiliating position for a man of such power to be in.

And while the Lieutenant couldn't see why he was groveling away, she marched towards him with her handgun pointed towards the sand. The barbarous look overtaking her features had still not faltered, upon reaching the centurion, she made out his frustrated grunts and groans as he tried to put enough room between him and the members of Omega. 

Lee did not even need to announce her presence, with her silhouette casting a shadow over him, he moved his machete he had hidden underneath his arm to his own gullet.

"No you-" The lieutenant threw herself down to wrestle the weapon from the centurion's hands. This would not be the first time something like this had happened in front of her, a member of the legion (for reasons unknown) would always result to death before being caught in the hands of an NCR representative. 

Lee had hauled the sharp object from his calloused hands, her teammates slowly wandered closer, pondering silently what she was to do. In her fit of unspoken rage, they didn't know what her intentions were. She tightened her grip on the handle of the weapon before casting it far behind her, closer to the bay of Lake Mojave.

The man rolled himself onto his back, leg pulled up close to his chest. The bullet had strayed much closer to his kneecap than she had first anticipated. No wonder he had such a difficult time in progressing towards the main road. Lee reached down and snatched the polished helmet from his head by the frills, exposing the face of the man.

His set of dark colored hair chased after the headset when Davis removed it from his skull, dark eyes lidded with agony but resentment overpowered his other dispositions. His tawny skin blanching from the shock and loss of blood, but he still managed an exasperated chuckle. It was weak and breathless.

"Bested by a profligate whore, what a time to be alive." He spoke through gritted teeth. Lee Davis bore down at him, cerulean eyes taking in his every feature. She heard the sound of her squad's footsteps trotting closer to her whereabouts.

The centurion heaved, chest collapsing at his every breath. "Tell me, you filthy degenerate, what will you do? Take me to your commanding officer? Suck information out of me like the vile creatures you are? You will get nothing out of me, vapid _cunnus_. "

His words of hatred pulled a malicious grin from her lips, it was times like these where she found herself glad that she had her 1st Recon Beret positioned to where he could make out the logo, or her dog tag swinging in front of her wraps. Lee clicked the safety of her handgun back into place, sheathing it back at her hip. 

"No." She hummed, eyes didn't move from his. She wanted him to remember her face as well, have it haunt his notions. "You will take your morbid ass out of Cottonwood Cove and search out your foul leader: Caesar."

She could make out Grim murmuring something behind her back to one of the other members, their response was unable to be made out, "and you will grovel at his feet and tell him how you and several dozens of your men were massacred by five NCR soldiers led by a _woman_. Her name?" She tapped on the surface of her metallic dog tag. "Lieutenant Lee Davis. The leader of the 1st Recon team: Omega. Do you understand that? You centurion pig?"

She had not been expecting a simple nod, nor a sound of agreement. The man stared at her, the fire in his eyes burning brighter as she announced her name loud and proud. Even from his position in the sand, she could see his fingers twitching, as he fervently desired to snap her neck and rip her head from her shoulders.

"I hope the Legion hangs you and your miserable fucking team on a cross, _moecha putida_."

"Talk dirty, you slave-fucking bastard." Lee spat, steadying her weight and beat the toe of her boot into his face. It knocked him to his back with a thick grunt. The impact must've broken his nose, god knows he'd done ghastly actions to deserve it. Nevertheless, if she wanted to secure her chances of the man really dragging himself to the powerful Caesar himself, then he needed to be alive. 

Lee glanced over her shoulder, eyes landing on her closest squamate. "Aarons, ready the raft over on the docks. We're giving him a push to Arizona."

The Corporal did not seem too pleased to have his name mentioned in the presence of a high ranking Legion officer, but with their latest and possibly their most tremendous victory against the Legion by far, he would not allow it to ruin his mood. 

Grim was ecstatic, like a child getting their first BB gun. His smile much too fatuous for the massacre he had just participated in. "I'll help." Barely able to contain his enthusiasm, he followed after his partner who inched further from the rest of the team, and towards the docks. 

* * * 

"-And the way that she had said it was just "you will grovel at your leader's feet and tell him your whole base was destroyed by Team Omega!" And mind you we had only used our fists and the weapons of fallen Legion soldiers-"

"The story changes every time he tells it." Spin-Up muttered at lunch the following months. Their victory had been admired and recognized by the New California Republic stationed in Nevada, deeming them protectors of both California and now the Mojave desert, and all it had taken was the murder of a growing population of Legion soldiers. 

Almost every year it grew more facile to impress the NCR. Not that team Omega was complaining, an easy reputation to live up to. As long as Grim wasn't around to twist the story into making them seem like divine beings.

Still, telling the tale of their heroic save of Camp Searchlight to a dozen adolescents right outside of the schoolhouse seemed like a bit much. They were not celebrities, far from it. Just appreciated.

"Next time he'll be saying that the centurion was really Caesar himself. And we didn't just send him off on a raft down the Colorado River, we just dumped him straight in the fuckin’ waters." 

"I'll smoke to that." Aarons muttered, abandoning his scrambled ant eggs to light one of the cigarettes he had in his pockets. Sergeant pepper rolled her eyes, not that she was any better with a bottle of beer in placement of water to complement the taste of her Brahmin steak. Her eyes traveled over to the sight of their Lieutenant playing with her daughter on the pre-war school ground equipment. Rowena was crawling on the surface of the merry-go-round babbling gibberish and the few noises she had managed to learn efficiently. 

"The Lieutenant really freaks me out sometimes." Spin-Up announced quietly, averting his attention back to his meal instead of the constant stories Grim had to say about team Omega. He stabbed his fork through a piece of raw carrot, he grimaced. "She goes from stone face to. . . that. After six years of being on the team, it's really unsettling."

"That just makes you an asshole." Aarons muttered, much to Sergeant B. Pepper's amusement.

"How does that make me an asshole?"

"The Lieutenant is a human, you know. What? Did you think she was a military Mister Handy?"

"You both are acting like kids." Pepper interrupted before Spin could retaliate, Lieutenant Lee Davis was smiling broadly at the constant babbling of the same sounds of "bab, bab" coming from the child. It was nice for them to see Lee in a good mood, especially since it had been three months since Master Sergeant Vance had been forced to station back at Hoover Dam. 

That didn't mean they wouldn't tie the knot the moment he came back. And to think they all started to believe corporal Aarons when he insisted that their Lieutenant was married to her work, married to the NCR. 

The partnered NCR teachers opened the front door from the schoolhouse, beckoning the kids back inside from their break. The adolescents that were crowded around Grim slowly began to thin until the children retreated back into the building, all in a file line. 

"Got your fill of boasting yet?" Spin antagonized, the words quickly slapped the simper from the youngest member's face. 

"It's too early for you to be a cunt. Eat your sandwich." 

"Language!" Lee Davis snapped, hands cupping over her daughter’s ears. Her lips pulled back into their signature frown. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter will be a 13 year time skip. I really fucking like this fanfiction, just give it a bit more time~ shit will fall down hill soon.


	4. A Final Farewell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But everything comes with a price" -Beth Crowley, Eyes Wide Open

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I haven't posted for Frankincense And Myrrh because I've been writing this nonstop! I need help :)

**The year is 2271**

 

The stars in the sky were covered with dense layers of clouds, the illumination from the moon provided little illumination in Camp Searchlight. Lee Davis patrolled around the NCR base, looking for any foes daft enough to sneak on the grounds. It came to an end after almost an hour of patrolling the roads for anything suspicious that moved. Nothing more than merchants with wearied brahmin and gecko hunters steering clear of the station.

She bid Spin-Up and Corporal Aarons goodnight, the only ones of the team willing to aid her in a search at roughly one in the morning, the others were fast asleep, able to snooze without any further disruptions.

“Lee, wait.”

She stopped in her tracks at Aarons' voice, turning around to see him trotting back to her. His fingers moved up to pull his beret from his head. They were hardly 1st Recons anymore, protectors seemed like the correct word. But they still preferred to wear their berets to show what they were capable of. He crushed the cap in his palms, releasing a deep sigh.

“Grim said he’ll take over for Rowena’s gun training tomorrow.”

“I’m still not sure why you, Pepper, or Spin, aren't able to cover for me.” The Lieutenant spoke, forearms crossing over her chest. It was too late to be speaking of tomorrow, with arms as dense as lead and eyelids unable to be held open much longer. Aarons didn’t make his excuses, shrugging his shoulders with a smile.

“Celestine should begin her training too, you know.”

The Lieutenant nodded, she knew it was long past her date of learning how to protect herself. Being eleven years old out in the Mojave was an accomplishment on its own, the difficult part was keeping yourself alive afterward. She stalled four years with Rowena’s lessons, and she knew that couldn’t happen with her youngest daughter as well.

“Monday. Monday she’ll start with BB guns and I’ll be the one to train her. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Corporal Aarons saluted, a pretentious gesture that she wished to ignore. “Sleep tight.”

“You too.” Lee knew she wouldn’t, but something told her that wishing him well might aid her.

 

* * *

 

The walk through Camp Searchlight was calm, her gun held tight in hand as a means of forethought. The troopers on nightshift nodded courteously as she moved past them on her way home.

Home. . . It still seemed odd to refer to this place as such, especially with the twinge in her heart every time she thought of Shady Sands. Two different parts of her life, yet to everyone else, it was the same legacy. Lee Davis was a different person, a different woman than she was back in New California. She was more cautious, diligent, and had more to lose. All thanks to motherhood and family.

The Lieutenant opened the front door to her family’s residence. The living room was shrouded in darkness, all but one small battery powered lamp light on the coffee table next to the couch. Rowena’s favored station hummed from the speakers of the family radio, a familiar tune of “Easy Living” by Billie Holiday echoing through the dark home.

On the couch she saw her husband, his head craned to rest on the arm of the sofa. It seemed that her family fell asleep with her gone. Lee’s daughters residing behind the couch on a mattress sprawled out on the floor. Their arms were entwined with Celestine’s set of blonde hair a veil around her older sister’s face.

A normal night, Vance must have been reading to the both of them as there was still an opened pre-war book in his hands. Lee exhaled through her nose, shaking her head before propping her Hunting rifle up against the wall just beside the door. She quietly moved towards the couch to rest her hand on her husband’s shoulder.

“You read them to sleep again, didn’t you?” She asked faintly, he began to stir. Eyes scrunching up with confusion, Vance pulled his head from the arm of the couch.

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep with them.” He rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes, in the dim torchlight, she could see him blinking away the stars in his vision. “What time is it?”

“Just finished midnight protocol, so it’s late.”

“You’re still in your wraps.”

“Well, I did just get back.”

Fair enough, Vance nodded. His hand tightened to a fist on the surface of the armrest while pulling himself to his feet. He rolled his shoulders back to release the tension between his bones, Lee held her tongue, holding at bay the temptation to call him an old man.

Clicking off the switch of the old lamp light, she pressed the palm of her hand on his lower back to aid him in navigating through the darkened home. The silence between them was comforting, his eyes still lulled with sleep and hers stung with lack thereof.

Reaching the doorframe of their shared room, Lee helped him in pulling his NCR uniform from his chest, and he aided with hers, tugging the trooper’s mask off from around her neck. The layers of clothing discarded on the surface of their floor. Vance allowed his eyes to trail away from the outline of the woman and over to the dark doorway, the soft hum of the radio still meeting his ears.

He hardly felt Lee’s mouth move from his chest. “They won’t wake up.”

Slowly, his head moved back to face her. Vance could see the glisten of her eyes from the moonlight coming in through the cracks of the boarded windows. “I know.” He stated, after the brief exchange, he felt her lips press against the outline of his collar. The touch ghosting across his skin and sending shivers down his spine. His heavy arms were pulled from his side as he despondently slid them onto her hips, trailing down to her smooth backside.

Vance trailed his fingers down her form to grasp at the flesh of her thighs and pull the woman from her heels, pressing his feet against the floor silently and laying her down on the surface of the bed. She hadn’t moved her mouth from his chest, her hands running up his sides and grazing the nails down his back

Vance’s wife was pinned underneath him with her legs folded up to her chest and her breathing going out of rhythm. He could feel lee’s fingers clawing into the base of his shoulders like a captain’s hook, there was an absence of lighting but he could still make out the blurred sight of her mouth hanging open and the whites of her eyes overtaking the majority of her gaze. Strained movements on both of their behalves, the lieutenant tightened her thighs around his hips, squeezing him to a halt while a broken whimper caught itself in her throat.

A gasp sputtered from her lips and her body sagged, legs dropping from their placement around his rear. Vance steadied his weight on the bed frame while he caught his breath. She tapped his shoulder as a sign that he could move, allowing him to shift and fall over at her side.

Silenced drained between them, nothing but their quiet heaving could be heard for the following minute. Their minds and bodies coming down from their high before they could drift off into sleep. Vance craned his neck to the side in order to peer over at his wife.

“Lee?”

“Hm?”

“I don’t want to go back again.”

A brief pause, she knew he didn’t want to go back to Hoover Dam. She didn’t want him to either, nor did their daughters sleeping in each other’s arms out in the living room. Lee _never_ wanted him to go. The days ticked by at an antagonizing pace whenever he was down to less than a week, once Sunday morning arrived then he would be packed and ready to leave once again. It hurt, more than she cared to admit.

“Then don’t go.” She whispered back, an impossible reply.

“But I have to.”

She knew, and it only pained her more to say it. “I know.”

 

* * *

 

“See, now just squeeze the trigger. Not pull.”

“Why not pull?” Rowena Vance looked up at the youngest member of the Omega team: Specialist Grim. He held her hands in place on the barrel of the hunting rifle. He opened his mouth to reply, but instead, a frown took over.

“Honestly? I don’t know, they told me to squeeze instead of pulling but I never learned the difference.”

His reply pulled a humored snort from Rowena, she shifted her shoes on the sand. The eyes she inherited from her father moving back to stare through the scope, she searched for the makeshift dummy far off into the landscape behind the Vance family home.

“Now pretend that the dummy is a nasty Legion soldier or a raider.” His finger ghosted over hers as she cushioned her index finger on the trigger.

“I don’t want to kill anyone!”

Grim rolled his eyes, that ethical and quite adorable mindset of hers was really beginning to get in the way of the Omega team members and her parents coaching her on how to protect herself. Rowena was thirteen years old and still searching for the good of the world. It was understandable for her younger sister Celestine to still be doing such, but now that she was growing up, it would be best for her to know of the dangers that she could be exposed to.

“Fine, you take the shot, run over with me on what you’re supposed to do if there is a Legion raid party, or raiders attack Camp Searchlight.”

Rowena let the sniper hang down in her hands, she released a drawn-out groan and her head rolled back on her shoulders. “Uncle Aarons made me go over this yesterday, and Aunt Pepper made me act it out!”

“Row, make my life easier and just go over it for me. If your mom finds out I’m shit at teaching you then she’ll make me trade places with the dummy out there. Come on, first step.” He clapped his gloved hands against each other and rubbing them together in anticipation, he couldn't even recall his foul language in front of the girl. Something Lieutenant Lee Davis relentlessly told him to watch unless he wanted to face her wrath.

He always wondered what would happen. He’d probably wake up one day with a deathclaw egg lodged in his ass.

“I find Celestine and then try to find one of the closest Omega team members as possible.”

The Recon nodded his head, “and if you can’t find any of us in. . .?”

“-Under ten to thirty seconds, then I run to one of the churches and hide in the cellar, or go home and hide under the bed with my sister. _Or_ go to the general foods store and hide in the back room.” Her tone nonchalant, Grim could tell that she grew more exasperated every time she recited the list. It was for her and Celestine’s safety, it was better for them to be prepared for the worst if they ever got separated from the family. Not even Lee wanted them completely in the dark.

The man hummed in agreement, nodding his head thoroughly. “Last but not least, what do you do if you are cornered by a man much bigger than you?”

“I go straight for the crotch?”

“You go straight for the fucking crotch.” He clasped her shoulder, glad that she specifically remembered his addition to the list that his partner: Corporal Aarons deemed too inappropriate.

 _“They’re too young to be kicking people in the dick,”_ Aarons said, frankly, Grim didn’t think you were evertoo young to defend yourself by kicking someone in the dick.

“Alright, arms up again. Shoot the dummy or they’re going to throw a javelin at you and take out your kneecaps.” He smacked at the barrel of the rifle to quicken her speed at leveling her weapon. “If you miss more than once I’m gonna smack the back of your head. That’s what your mom did to me.”

It was true, but Grim didn’t think he could ever smack one of the Lieutenant’s daughters for any reason without having to answer to their mother directly. Not that he _wanted_ to smack them. Rowena grinned, he patiently watched as she swayed the gun in her hands, trying to catch sight of the dummy in the scope. She would have been dead by now if she was actually on the battlefield, but speed could come later.

It took another few seconds before a gunshot split through the air, the bullet soaring through the humid atmosphere and hurtling past the dummy. Rowena recoiled back at the force of the weapon, her hands clenched around the base of the gun, she gritted her teeth.

He kept his silence for a moment before speaking. “Come on, wasn’t that bad but-”

“It _was_ bad.” She cut in, Grim held up his hands diligently. Sometimes he wondered how she could take after her mother so much but also have her father’s optimistic disposition. Without another word her eyes moved back to peering through the scope, a pregnant pause overtaking them until another ear-splitting noise cut through the NCR base.

Thankfully this time the bullet sank into the poor stitching keeping the dummy together. Cutting through the shoulder, and from what they could guess, the ammunition was lodged deep in the practice model.

“Yes!” The girl hopped with enthusiasm, she spun around to face him. Brown eyes wide and filled with glee. “Did you see that Uncle Grim?!”

“You showed that sack who's boss around here.” He beamed, giving her a preposterous thumbs up. He wasn’t like her mother, her father, or Sergeant Pepper, he couldn’t pick apart her victory by telling her what she could have done better even though it would surely do her good. “If you can aim for the head next time and get it on the first shot then I’ll help you shoot uncle Aarons with a BB gun.”

“Grim,” speak of the devil, you could say. The specialist craned his head over his shoulder to see his partner sauntering over the gradual hill. Spin-Up and Sergeant B. Pepper at arm's length.

“Why are you always stealing my spotlight?” Grim groused, Rowena beamed like the energy from a laser rifle. Lowering her weapon at the sight of the soldiers, once she noticed the absence of three familiar faces, she frowned.

“Where's mom, dad, and Celestine?” She asked timidly, Grim could only guess why she would have such an undertone. With the short leaves her father got from the NCR stationed at Hoover Dam, every day the family grew tenser. When would he be sent back, and for how long?

“Celestine is at the schoolhouse, with your dad,” Spin-Up informed her, Grim recognized his tone. Sullen and grave, something was wrong.

He glanced up at Aarons, his thick eyebrow rose in query. His partner did nothing but nod sternly, cocking his head to the side as a gesture to follow.

“So, what about my mom?”

“Hon,” Sergeant Pepper cut in, one of her sweet and sham smiles directed towards Rowena. The recon stepped forward and placed her palm on the girl’s shoulder. “Head up to the school for a little while, you should get some learning in as well.”

“I’m not stupid.” Rowena cut in, churlish words that made Grim crack a smile, provoking his partner to reach over and jab him in the ribs. “Where’s my mom? Can’t you just tell me?”

“Technically, no.” Spin-Up flashed an apologetic simper. Sergeant Pepper straightened her back, removing her hand from the girl’s shoulder. Rowena’s jaw was clenched with her brows knitted together in frustration.

The Lieutenant’s daughter never did accept nor understand why the Omega team could not always tell her the unyielding truth. Merely growing up in their presence was enough to pinpoint her as a target at times. Especially after their one-team massacre at Cottonwood Cove. If they began to solicitously share classified information with her, that was grounds for interrogation for the lot of them.

“Fine.” She huffed. That juvenile spark that almost guilted Spin into uttering out some serene expression of regret. Without another word from her, Rowena resentfully handed Grim her hunting rifle and marched down the sandy terrain.

Aarons opened his mouth to call out to her, but Sergeant Pepper held up her hand in silence. Just shaking her head to deem it as a lost cause.

“So are we just going to stand here or are you going to tell me why you all came up to me at three in the afternoon on a Saturday?” Grim dusted his hands off on his trousers, brushing past his partner to stumble down the rise of the landscape. “Seriously, where’s the Lieutenant then?”

“She’s over at Cottonwood Cove.”

That was odd, odd enough to bring Grim to a halt. The members of Omega wandered closer to him until they reached solid ground, just behind the main buildings. Close enough that they could hear the sounds of soldiers leaving the police station, companied by the churchgoers.

“So she’s having a nice getaway from everyone down by the shore, that’s not my business.”

“Grim, no-”

“It’s the Legion bastards again.” Corporal Aarons wasn’t going to strive away from the issue any more than they had to, it was evident that he merely desired to spit the words out before they began to root in the bottom of his gut. “Lee wants all of us at the shack. Right now.”

Great, they were dealing with not only teenage girls but a thriving Legion camp manifesting in Cottonwood Cove. You'd think that they learned their lesson the first time.

So much for his days off. Grim was thirty-two now, his joints weren’t exactly the same, meaning he preferred to spend his free days how _he wanted_  to. Sure, that made him a loathing dick in the eyes of everyone else. Their Lieutenant was thirty-nine and had done more than Wendell Peterson did his entire presidency, what was he supposed to do? Clap?

“I’ll meet you there, I don’t even have my beret with me. Let me adjust my dick first before you-”

“Just get your gun and meet the team by the shack.” Sergeant B. Pepper snapped, cutting him off irritably.

 

* * *

 

Crouching and sidling wasn't their finest suit. Team Omega’s large and quite heavy hunting rifles were strung over their shoulders with other great precautions taken for their sudden trip, a canteen for every member and enough ammunition to tie the whole squad together three times over.

Spin-Up stumbled over poorly placed gravel from mother nature, his elbow smacking into the center of Grim’s spine. The impact was not bruising, but it was still enough to tear a soft “oof” from his lips. “Seriously?”

“You think I meant to do that?”

“Just shut up already.” Aarons snapped crossly, “If you get us caught then I swear to god I’m going to ask the Legion to just throw you both in the river.”

Sgt. B. Pepper didn’t mean to, but a regaled snort left her mouth at their mindless quarrel.

Upon arrival, none of them had the nerve to speak, shifting guns from their shoulders and holding them tight against their chests with vigilance. Their boots crushed parching twigs and hot gravel underneath as they attentively approached the head of the shack they set up over a decade ago. The view was magnificent and the rocks shaded the afternoon sun from the camp to give their eyes a rest and their skin a needed break. Allowing them to overlook the pre-war resort bordering Lake Mojave bay.

Grim sighed, “these rocks never get old. Well, the Legion really did a number on it. You can really ruin the horizon by fucking some-”

Aarons elbowed him in the gut, “shut up.” He rejoined. “You’ll get us caught with your fuckin’ commentary.” The corporal recoursed to hopping down from the rocks immediately after his words, Grim’s face contorted with displeasure, following after his partner with Pepper, and Spin-Up behind him.

The landing was shallow and hard on Pepper’s knees. The broken walls of the shack had enough war punctures in it that they could spot their Lieutenant against the flour sack barricade. Lee's rifle barrel propped up on the blockade, leering through her scope.

“Good, you’re all here,” she stated after glancing over her shoulder at her approaching teammates. “Men have been riding on rafts up and down the river, I don’t know where they have gone but they haven’t come back yet.”

“Well, shit just keeps going downhill,” Aarons grumbled, he gave the landscape one good look around before joining their leader’s side. He resided in the chair that laid abandoned next to Lee Davis, shuffled his behind on the surface. He laid his sniper on his lap. “How many?”

The Lieutenant pulled her head back from the rifle scope, shaking her head, “too many.”

“Even for Team Omega?” Grim inquired, his cocky and quite arrogant love for their squad always managed to get the best of him. In his eyes there seemed to be _nothing_ they couldn’t handle. The team hardly broke a sweat with the massacre of Cottonwood Cove the first time around. Being so successful that Lee Davis didn't feel the need to put a bullet in the Legion Centurion’s skull thirteen years ago. What made this time so much different? Age?

The three of them moved forward, Grim shuffled to his knees alongside the chair. Lee Davis exhaled deeply, her jaw clenched. “Even for us," she stated. “I’ve counted five dozen. Not to mention the centurion and Vexillarius that I haven’t seen quite yet.”

“Ah, well that’s shit luck,” Grim muttered.

“That’s not just shit luck, you idiot.” Spin-Up irritably replied. Adjusting the weight of his rifle to peer through at the lower grounds. “This is worse than last time and triple the troops we have back at home."

Pepper grimaced, her mouth straining. "If their move is on Searchlight then we’re good as dead.”

And shit was it worse, Grim and Aarons didn't fully look at the terrain before B. Pepper sucked in her teeth. Their Lieutenant didn't even attempt to shy from the truth. Though it was eerily similar to the sights Team Omega could recall from thirteen years ago, there an absence of NCR troopers begging for their lives in the sand. Instead, Legion men wandered around the dirt paths, some passing by others with respectful nods. Higher ranks barked commands in Latin, and Legionnaires sparring against each other in nothing but loincloths with dirt and grime smeared all over them.

What sickened them the most was the caged men and women alongside their headquarters, close to the shore of Lake Mead. Their clothes were ratty and torn to shreds, faces covered in filth like a restroom in an abandoned building with tears streaming down their faces, lips quivering, legs trembling. All watching their demise as soldiers and friends of the Legion bartered for their lives. They could see the legion currency glimmering in the sunlight.

“Figures,” Corporal Aarons groused. “Slave trade. The fuckin' nerve to do it so close to NCR territory.”

“In my book that reads: they’re begging us to kick their asses.” Grim mused, zooming in his scope. "Wait, look at the knockers on that one, shit." He kept extending his field of view. Pepper rolled her eyes, but she was glad that the youngest member found a distraction from the painful sight.

"We should 2259 this bitch.” Spin-Up fumed.

“No. This is impossible for us to do on our own,” Lee said, but the team could tell that she was displeased with their lack of ability.

“We need more men,” Pepper retracted her rifle from the flour sacks.

“Yeah, we have more kids in Searchlight than soldiers,” Aarons grumbled, his head rolled back to stare at the dismantled ceiling. “Our best bet is to file a report to California and hope they'll send a dozen troopers all in the name of children.”

“Wouldn't that take over a month even with our team's recognition?” Spin asked, shaking his head. He and Pepper were the only ones willing to stand on their feet after peering down at the resort.

“Lieutenant, what about Vance?” Aarons straightening his back on the wearing chair, his eyebrows shooting up. “He has direct ties to Hoover Dam, and he might be able to pull some strings. We could be sent some men to protect the base in less than a month.”

Grim beamed, "all in the name of children.”

Lee Davis paid the Specialist no mind, “Vance leaves tomorrow morning.”  From the looks on her teammate’s faces, Lee realized that she neglected to tell them. The more she spoke about it the more distraught she became by it. “I can talk to him tonight, he’ll be able to work something out.”

“He better," Pepper grumbled.

 

* * *

 

The stress piled up, an issue coaxed by another issue, the Lieutenant didn’t know how she managed to haul it around on her shoulders. Lee changed from her NCR wraps to wear an unforgiving pre-war dress she stored away in the master bedroom. The radio on the kitchen counter hummed a familiar tune that she mindlessly swayed to. Lee could hear her daughters chatting out in the living room over the anatomy of the unloaded hunting rifle Lee gave her to practice with. From what could be made out, Celestine and Rowena were bickering over the correct name for the barrel of the gun, both of them were incorrect.

“Rowena!” Lee called suddenly, pulling the Bloatfly pie out of the oven that finally started working after nearly four years of being useless. “Go get your dad from the Police Station and tell him dinner is ready.”

“Dinner?” She echoed heedfully.

“That’s what I said.”

Celestine must have antagonized her older sister in some way, under the consideration that there was a hushed tone of “shut up!” Before her daughter hopped up and left the home.

The Lieutenant set the pie out on the counter, grimacing softly at the way the top layer of the crust cave in on the top with a puff of steam. Soft pads of footsteps entered the kitchen, signaling Celest’s curiosity. “What’d you make?”

Good question, Lee didn’t really know. She turned around to face her daughter, her blonde hair thrown up into a tight ponytail. “A pie. Get mom four plates from the cabinet, will you?”

As if eager to be some sort of aid in the kitchen, her youngest daughter began to immediately reach for the cupboards and search through for the correct dishes. Lee peeled the moderately damp mittens from her hands and set them on the broilers of the oven. Cooking was. . . Interesting, but it didn't manage to pull her notions from the thought of pending war, and what would come the next morning.

Lee Davis would have to worry about Cottonwood Cove all alone with her husband dozens of miles away.

The door opened not long after. The Lieutenant sent Celest to set the dinner table in her wake, and once she heard Vance’s arrival, a churning sensation began to whirl inside her gut. Not that the Bloatfly Pie looked appetizing, but the idea of the Legion took away her thoughts of hunger almost immediately.

“You’re actually cooking.”

His voice caused her to release a sharp breath she wasn’t aware she was holding. Lee pressed her perspiring palms on the edge of the counter. “I thought you’d like the domestic idea of your wife in the kitchen.”

“You’re also in a dress and apron.”

Right, Lee glanced down at the yellow and flower petal pattern. The pale garment tied a bit too hard around her waist for comfort, it didn’t exactly appear to be her usual style, nor anything she'd worn since her teens. Her fingers began to curl on the surface of the hardtop. Her eyes moved back up to stare at Vance, his arms crossed as his shoulders lounged against the archway.

“I found it in the dresser, I wasn’t aware that I owned it.” Her tone was nonchalant, even so, he could tell that something was not exactly right. What exactly was the dead giveaway? The sweetness in her voice? The dress? Apron? Pie? She didn’t want him to worry, especially on his last day before having to return back to Hoover Dam for god knows what. She thought he would enjoy the sight of her prancing around like one of those pre-war housewives showed on film.

He didn’t reply, studying her appearance in silence. He’d never seen her in a dress before and had only seen her cut up fruit and prepare Instamash. Lee turned back to the pie and touched the warm glass pan encasing it, it was cooling off, but she wished the process would speed up.

“What’s wrong?”

“Can’t you just enjoy the evening?” She inquired, her tone didn't hitch, but it still had the same impact. Vance kept his words as she turned to the refrigerator and opening the door to peruse its contents.

She pulled out a small jug of Mutfruit juice bought from the general store. “I can’t enjoy it if I know it’s all an act.”

It was as if he wanted to condemn the remaining hours of his evening. For once could he just humor her? Lee clenched her jaw, listening for the sound of hushed conversation coming from her daughters in the living room. She pressed her fingers against the glass pie pan once more.

“Our daughters are in the other room.”

“Mom? Is it ready?”

Vance craned his head to the side, peering out into the living room and at Rowena and Celestine. Lee pondered if they could hear their conversation loud and clear, even over the radio. Lee brushed the loose strands of blond hair from her face, “yes, I’m bringing it out right now.”

“Lee-”

“Later.”

The Lieutenant pressed her two fingers on the glass once more before deeming it a good temperature. With bare hands, she clasped two sides of the pie and hauled it from the counter. She passed by Vance who’s eyes chased after her timorously. Now he wouldn’t enjoy the evening, splendid, why did he always do this? And why did she contribute?

Once she left the kitchen, her daughters were on her heels. Lee had never cooked a homemade meal before. If so it was both her and their father attempting to piece some pre-war cookbook recipe together with a mediocre payoff. Thankfully they didn’t seem to be questioning her actions as much as Vance. Of course, if it hadn’t been his last day and their daughters were not in the next room she would have informed him immediately, regardless of how he may react. But she never wanted him to worry for his family’s safety when he was away, that’s not the type of life she wanted him to live.

Dinner was nice, dishing out the pie was more difficult than anticipated. Celestine snorted at the pile of mush that was put on her older sister’s plate, resembling something close to snot. Thankfully it smelled nice, but no one had their dinner in one piece.

“Thanks, mom.” Rowena beamed, just happy to have a home cooked meal, added with the calming tunes of the radio still echoing out of the kitchen. Celestine immediately stuck her fork into the food and ate.

“It tastes good,” Vance stated, clearly both were putting on an act, he'd pretend nothing was wrong and she'd continue the masquerade until their children were too weary to eavesdrop.

“Why did you cook?” Rowena asked. She was at the age where she’d begin prying in their adult business, deeming herself old enough for such a thing. Lee hesitantly stuck a chunk of the filling in her mouth, it tasted fine. She pushed the food against her cheek before replying.

“Dad is going to have to go back to work tomorrow, so I thought everyone would enjoy something different.”

“You’re leaving again?” Celestine asked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “Can’t you stay a little longer?”

“That’s not how it works, Celest,” Rowena spoke, her voice more sullen than it been moments before. She stabbed her fork into the crumbling crust. “Dad needs to go because the NCR is making him.”

“They won’t make me go when I’m older, will they?” She asked. Lee glanced over at her husband, a woe curve overtaking the side of her lip.

“Only if you enlist into the New California Republic,” Vance stated, this wasn’t the right thing to talk about over dinner, but it was better than what was to come later. Lee shook her head.

“And you don’t have to do that,” Lee added. The Lieutenant didn’t want them to be subjected to the exasperation of the NCR, then again she learned how to protect herself with their help. Lee was on the fence with it.

Her daughters hadn’t finished their supper, getting distracted when they still had a few bites left. They darted out into the living room to leave Lee and Vance alone with themselves. It was what he'd been waiting for, she should feel his shy stare moving up from his empty plate to stare at her.

“I don’t want you to worry,” Lee explained before he could encourage her to speak her mind. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “If it was any day but your last, I would have told you.”

“When did you start taking my feelings into consideration?” He asked.

“I always have.” She replied in an untroubled fashion, her elbows resting on the corner of the table so she could press her fingers against her chin. “Just never your reactions.”

Perhaps she needed to still work on her blunt honesty, he sputtered, lips smacking shut before he could form a reply that would only amuse her. He shook his head, “Lee, what is it?”

The Lieutenant sighed, blue eyes shifting to peer through at the shadows of her children in the living room. She swallowed thickly, “Cottonwood Cove has repopulation with Caesar’s Legion. There has to be double the men we have on hand, maybe triple. My team doesn’t stand a chance now.”

His expression of worry was well met, and perhaps it was worse than he first anticipated. His brown eyes widened and his lips parted with surprise. “But that’s too close to NCR territory. They wouldn’t try anything foolish.” Vance voice, sounding more like assurance to himself than faith.

“They were slave trading on the docks.” She added, the Master Sergeant stole a glance at the shadow of their chattering daughters in the living room to make sure they hadn't gotten distracted by their parent’s discussion. Lee Davis clenched her jaw crossly, “they were riding rafts down the river. I highly doubt it was for kicks. They’re planning something, and they need to be stopped.”

“So what do we do?” He asked. Vance knew she had a plan. She always did.

“My team and I were talking.” her tone hushed. Thankfully Celestine and Rowena thought to move the radio out of the kitchen and into the living room, so hopefully, they would not have to deal with prying ears tonight. “The republic could always send us more men from California, but that would take too much time. And Hoover Dam has a stable amount that could be stationed here.”

“You want me to talk to the general?” He asked, perplexed.

“I’m sure he will understand. It is Team Omega after all.”

A name that held weight was everything to the New California Republic. Especially when it was notoriously known to the members of Caesar’s Legion. She was the whore of the east in those bastard’s heads, which only rewarded her with handshakes and respectful nods from her comrades. The general would be a fool to turn her down, especially when the NCR businessmen were all about their fragile disposition and ego.

Vance clenched his fingers into a tight fist, releasing an exasperated sigh. “Of course I’ll inform him.” He spoke, leading her into believing the conversation could be over. “God. . . Will everyone be alright?” He asked.

“We always are,” Lee stated, pulling herself from the dining chair and grabbing her half cleaned dish. “But I can’t tell the future.”

 

* * *

 

Waking up the next morning, Lee’s eyes were heavy and her limbs felt like chunks of lead sewn to her skin.

Sunday morning.

She could already hear Master Sergeant Vance packing his essentials into his bag at the foot of their queen size bed, the atmosphere in the master bedroom was thick and dense that Lee could hardly breathe. Pulling herself from the surface of their bed, she found him on the floor, neatly packing his weapons and clothes for what was to come.

In silence she joined him, her legs crossed on the carpet and her hair a ratty mess on top of her head. Vance was already dressed into his uniform with his desert face wrap around his neck.

Slowly, the Lieutenant leaned forward to place her chin on his clothed shoulder. He paused, her hand gently placing itself on his collarbone. “Celestine will be twelve when you get back.” Lee reminded, her tone lifeless, only a tint of a morose temper.

Vance’s breath hitched, she couldn’t see his face but she knew, she knew that her husband was holding back the emotion swelling in his chest. “I’m so sorry.” He whispered, his fingers pressing over hers. With his words, she didn’t know what part of it to focus on, the dread, remorse, or sorrow that plagued his tone.

Lee felt her throat begin to ache. “We love you, regardless. Even if you have to leave.”

 

“I wouldn’t if I could.”

 

She knew. He told her dozens of times.

 

* * *

 

The sun glowed much too bright where it hung in the sky, glaring down on Camp Searchlight to torch the tops of the roofs. Lee subconsciously brushed the grime from her trooper attire, her helmet shielding her head from the heat. Rowena toyed with the hem of her shirt dress while she and Celestine nervously watched their mother and father exchange lasting embraces in the midst of the road.

“You’ll ask the general about sending more men.” Mother commanded, it was hard to hear over the sounds of the troopers scampering around base, unknown voices shouting at one another far behind them.

“That was the plan.” He pressed a lasting kiss to her cheek before stepping back hesitantly, his eyes falling to her and her sister. A downhearted smile overtaking his lips while he sauntered towards them, “you’ll do well while I’m gone, won’t you?” Father inquired, his eyes focusing on her. Rowena didn’t know what he was actually referring to. Whether it was her school work, marksmanship, or her ongoing issue with authority. Regardless, she nodded silently, Rowena didn’t think she could bring herself to speak with her throat tightening up and her own words strangled in her mouth. She didn’t want to cry, especially when mom seemed so calm and collected.

“I will,” she strangled out. Before he could see the foaming tears in front of her eyes, she wrapped her arms around him. Her mouth was pressed hard into his shoulder, a thin tear slipping through the inner corner of her eyes. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Row.” He replied, voice wavering.

When he pulled back, Celestine immediately took her place. Chin trembling when her sister threw herself into their father’s arms. It always hurt to watch him go, the tension building inside the family until the very day they stood on this road that led away from Camp Searchlight. Mother never caved in, never let the emotion get the best of her. She always knew he would come home.

“Don’t give mom too much trouble with your sharpshooting training. Understand? Both of you.”

“I know,” Rowena whispered, hands clasping together as she answered for both her and her sister.

Master Sergeant Vance nodded. Rowena knew something was different about this specific leave to the Dam. With the way dad was looking at them, and the long, unyielding embrace that he held with mom, she knew that they were concerned about war. They always were.

Watching him go was always difficult, walking backward in order to watch the three of them wave vehemently until he was nothing but a speck in the distance. The Lieutenant dropped her hands to her side, her heart growing denser in the center of her chest even when she released a deep exhale.

This was too heavy. Clasping her hand over her daughter’s shoulder, “Row, go find aunt Pepper and Uncle Aarons and tell them that they’re going to help you with your history lesson.” She spoke, there wasn’t much room in her mind to argue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already have a large amount of the next chapter written, bare with me bitches because it only guess worse from here.


	5. The Beginning And The End. The First And Last.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We talked about making it, I'm sorry that you never made it." -The Neighborhood, Wires

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very dear to me. I've grown to love these characters so much and I didn't enjoy doing this to them. Welcome back! I cried a lot while writing this, and so did my support system.
> 
> ⚠ This chapter contains graphic depictions of violence. ⚠

“Well, is there anything new?”

What a subjective question. Lee Davis folded her hands in her lap with her lips forced to a straight line, Team Omega sat in the midst of the living room with Grim and Aarons sprawled out on the floor. They knew it was safe to speak of any classified matters with Celestine and Rowena gone. The two were at the general goods store, looking for a working antenna to fix the family radio that they knocked over last night.

“Aarons and I went to check up on Cottonwood Cove,” Grim spoke, his fingers toying with his shoelaces, his drink supported in his left hand. “Newest thing _I_ found out? The centurion’s wife is a fucking bombshell. Holy shit, and that _ass_ -”

The Specialist went to take another drink of his vodka, and Yucca mix, but his partner grabbed his wrist, a bit of it splashed out over onto Grim’s khakis in the process. “Hey man, I think you’ve had enough, don’t ya think?” 

“Go fuck the muzzle of your rifle.” He snapped, though he didn't fight back when Aarons gently took the glass from his hands. “What? We’ve gotta be serious? It’s a Wednesday night and I don’t gotta serve tomorrow.”

“Sure, Lee and your sorry ass don't, but me, Aarons, and Beatrice do.”

Grim frowned, his already drunken features gnarled and his eyes lulled before replying, “who in the fuck is Beatrice?”

“That’s me, asshole.” Pepper retorted, pulling her hair from her tie. The weight of her own locks was giving her a headache, even more than Grim already did.

“Wait so B. Pepper stands for Beatrice Pepper? I thought it was for Bitch or something.” Grim’s dark eyebrows pulled themselves together in skepticism. 

Spin-Up rolled his eyes, turning over to their Lieutenant and sinking further into the couch. “What a lightweight, he’s already drunk.” Rubbing his nose briskly, Spin stood from the couch and wander off for the kitchen. This was supposed to be a quick conclave before Lee called her children in for light’s out, but Grim decided that he would have to make it more of a personal pity party. 

“I’ll get him some water to sober him up.”

“Good thinking.” Aarons huffed, setting beverage next to his boot to make sure it was out of the reach for his partner. Once realizing he was in no frame of mind to aid in the conversation, Aarons continued. “At Cottonwood, they were just selling slaves and transferring cargo. They kept moving up and down the river with supplies and captives. It’s obvious they’re up to something, and if it has anything to do with Hoover Dam, then we need to file another report before it’s too late.”

“I wrote one on Monday, stating that they were manifesting close to Searchlight with more than four dozen men-”

“Right now they only care for the Dam. So, mention that it may be in trouble, that will get their attention.” Lee cut in, eyes trained on the Sergeant with intent. “If so, that might disrupt our plan of getting more troops from the general.”

“Well, if the Legion isn’t focused on attacking Searchlight then we might not need them,” Aarons muttered, frowning at Grim who decided to untie his shoes and loop the laces.

“Unless Caesar’s trying to kill two birds with one stone.” Spin-up mused as he walked out of the kitchen. He handed a tall glass of water to Grim who was in the midst of trying to untangle his shoelaces from the jumbled mess he had created, “sober up, asshole.”

“Fuck you.” Nevertheless, the specialist took the cup. Staring down the mouth of the glass prior to guzzling it down. It must have tasted much better than the alcohol in his system. He shuddered, wiping his mouth. “God, the fuck are we doing here? We can take those little bitches out from the rocks, just make sure they don’t see us and we’re golden.”

“Yeah, like that worked out last time. You almost got a spear in your side and I nearly lost my life for your sorry ass.” Aarons retaliated, adjusting his weight on the floor to straighten his legs out, arms propped up behind him. “Still, even if they go for the Hoover Dam, we need extra troops for the Legionaries that still consider Searchlight a threat.” 

“We _are_ a threat.” Pepper corrected.

“Yeah, we beat the shit out of them last time. They damn well oughta know we’ll do it again.” Spin reminded.

“There’s more to worry about than just ourselves.” The Lieutenant reminded them curtly, at heart she knew she was referring to her two daughters and husband, who was currently stationed at the Dam in order to secure it as the property of the NCR. Last time Team Omega was in the line of fire, Celestine wasn't born, and Rowena was too young to become a target of the Legion. Now they were old enough to be young wives for suitable Legionnaires. The idea of their invidious, dangerous, and casual reach-for-the-stars “Team Omega behavior” was now unnerving and fatuous. More lives were now on the line, and much more enemies were here than before. 

Before anything else could be said, the door was shoved open, and two chatting girls moved in with a fast conversation on their lips. Grim winced as if already feeling a headache coming on. 

“You two get the replacement part?” Lee asked sweetly, a quick change in tone that was well appreciated for the squad. They finally came to terms with the motherlike disposition their Lieutenant had whenever her children were in hearing range, even Spin-Up, who always looked a thousand miles away when she cooed. 

“It’s a little bent, but Dennis said he’d take off a couple of caps for the damage,” Rowena explained gently, brushing her braided set of hair over her shoulder. 

“You drive a hard bargain, you’re gonna run the poor man out of business,” Spin-Up commented, a grin grew on the two of their lips. He held out his hand, “here, give me the antenna and I’ll fix it for you.” 

“The both of you will help him.” Their mother corrected, “it will be a good learning experience for both of you.” And a mild punishment for roughhousing in a home too small for them to be doing such a thing. Afterward, Corporal Aarons threw at her a puzzled expression, his eyebrow rising with inquiry. She knew it well.

“We’ll finish this tomorrow,” Lee finished. A gentle dismissal for the ones reluctant to stay.

“Meaning I can sleep this off.” Grim huffed, trailing off into a big gulp of water. He pounded his fist on his chest to aid the drink in going down, he set the empty glass on the carpet. “Aarons, carry me.”

It was such a shame he couldn’t use foul language in front of the Celest and Row, “screw off. You have legs.”

Grim rolled his eyes, “my joints are shit.”

Aarons smacked his partner’s shoulder almost immediately when the word left his lips. Celestine giggled at the exchange. “Fine, fine! Get up.”

The corporal grabbed Grim’s bicep and hauled him to his feet, silent words of embitterment uttered from his lips. “See you all in the morning.” He spoke, hasting his partner to the door, “come _on_ , You can at least help me move you!” 

“Carry me on your back then!”

“I would seriously rather-” 

The door shut behind them.

 

The night went fine, the radio was fixed before the two of them had to rest their heads. It was around eleven at night once the both of them laid down. 

Spin-Up shut the front door behind them, it was more practical to say their goodnights outside so they wouldn’t disrupt Rowena or Celestine who was asleep on the mattress right by the couch. The Lieutenant crossed her arms over her chest, “Don't worry.” Lee reminded them both “Vance will get the general to send us extra troops.”

“We know he will.” Pepper's voice was solemn, her eyes lowered to the sand, “it’s only the matter of how quickly they can get here.”

“That’s if shit hits the fan.” Spin-Up chimed in.

Lee Davis shook her head. “It won’t.” 

 

* * *

 

**Thursday, May 3rd, year 2273**

 

A perfectly normal day to the general store, no suspicious activity in the making, the Vance family daughters were being perfectly innocent and they were -most definitely, up to nothing but good. 

It was eleven in the morning and there seemed to be enough breeze in the air to rustle the ends of Rowena’s sundress. She held her history textbook in her arms with her sister alongside her. “You shouldn’t carry a BB gun on your back everywhere you go, you don’t even know how to use it.”

“It’s mine, not yours,” Celestine retaliated, her fingers craning around her torso to feel the barrel of the weapon. She rolled her eyes at her younger sister’s reply.

“You don’t know how to use it. That’s like carrying spoiled meat around, it’s not like you can eat it.” Rowena retaliated, her sister shoved her off the side of the road once she erupted into laughter over her own comment. “Anyway,” she started, moving back up onto the cracked roadway. “Mom said to tell uncle Grim about helping Aunt Pepper write a report about something.”

“I don’t even know where he is.” Celestine retorted, crossing her arms over her chest, they trotted past the fire station, a few troopers accompanied by uncle Aarons were trying to lift one of the garage doors and prop a large metal pipe underneath it in order to keep the door open. 

“In the team’s house, he got drunk last night.” Rowena stuck her school textbook underneath her arm, waving at Aarons sweetly, to which he shot her a caring smile before continuing his work. She glanced around the streets, taking note of the lack of yelling, something she'd grown accustomed to over the years. “Just go up to him and tell him that aunt Pepper needs his help and he should wait at the police station. He probably feels better now.”

“Fine. I’ll meet you at the general store.” 

Celestine marched ahead, steps were heavy and reluctant, it was obvious that she didn’t want to go get Grim from the Omega residence, whether or not he liked joking around. With her little sister now out of her sights, Rowena grinned halfheartedly, on her own and finally not having to parent.

“Oh, sorry!” Not paying attention, she must've strayed too close to the center of the road, her shoulder slammed straight into the bicep of an NCR trooper. She was the only one who stumbled from the impact, her textbook slipping from underneath her arm and falling to the cracked asphalt. She leaned down to retrieve her belonging, laughing timorously to herself when her apology was ignored.  

Rowena looked up, the man stopped and turned his head to stare at her. His face wrap pulled up to his nose with his trooper’s helmet and goggles fully secured on his appearance. “Watch where you go, girl.” 

“Yeah, sorry.” She frowned, maybe the heat was getting to some of them and turning their manners upside down. He should remove all the extra layers then, Rowena continued on, throwing her gaze over her shoulder at him while he continued down the road and past the Fire department. She checked the hardback of her book to make sure there wasn't any damage done, thankfully, there seemed to be nothing. Just the small indent on the bottom right corner where she slammed it against the doorway of the Police station while running home, hearing that her father returned.

Thinking about him made a knot begin to form in the base of her gut. She continued down the road and stopped in front of the general store. Dad always took so long to come back from his leaves of work, every time he left it felt as if he would be gone forever. The time he remained here passed by too quickly. It was never fair, if mom could stay then he should be able to as well. Tell the New California Republic to burn in hell for all she cared. 

Their mother never said when he would be back this time, she only said that he would arrive soon, but times were changing, and the Mojave was becoming a more aggressive place for people like them. The Legion was becoming a nuisance, but they always were, and that didn’t explain why dad had to be a part of solving the problem. He always came back in a month or two, hopefully, that’s what she could expect. 

“Where’s Celest?”

Rowena glanced up from the uplifted wooden planks of the patio, just outside of the store. Uncle Spin-Up stared at her with a kind smile, his beret sitting sagging to the side, and his sunglasses scrunched on his nose bridge. His assault rifle didn’t make her uneasy like it used to. 

“Getting uncle Grim. Mom said to.” Her fingers picked at the edge of her textbook. “Do you know why mom is so worried about danger?”

Spin-up snorted, moving one of his hands from his gun to adjust his NCR dog tag to hide it inside his shirt. “Your mother has a family to take into consideration and not just herself. You know this.”

“Yeah, but I mean the Legion. She keeps saying I can’t leave the border of the town, or I might die.”

He stayed quiet, lips smacking together while he thought. “Come on Row, you know I can’t say anything without your mom’s permission.” He shifted his shoulders, throwing a haste look to his right in order to check if anyone was behind him. “Camp Searchlight is the safest place for you to be. When you can shoot a bottle off a fence on your first try from twenty feet away, then we can talk. That's the rules.”

“Your rules are stupid,” she huffed.

“No, they're really not. If you want to go on a walk, you have to know what you’re signing up for.” He looked downcast, she was aware that he knew things she didn’t, and it seemed like everyone around her was trying to protect her from things she couldn’t see. 

“Do you think mom will ever let dad take me to Hoover Dam one day?”

He didn’t answer, instead, she heard Aunt Pepper’s voice ring out.

“Spin! Stop standing around and get to work!”

He glanced at her, rolling his eyes at his teammate’s immediate command. “I’m on duty right now. I don’t know Row, you’ll have to ask them.” With that, Spin-Up waved goodbye and caught up with the sergeant. Once he was close enough to Pepper, she slugged him on the shoulder. 

Celestine wasn’t gone for long. Aunt Pepper and Uncle Spin-Up were out of sight and out of mind by the time she returned, with her BB gun in front of her chest and her fingers wrapped around the trigger, even if it wasn’t loaded. “We should see if we can find any ammunition inside.” Celest voiced once she was within hearing range.

“Dennis wouldn’t sell us any, not without mom’s sayso.” Rowena shoved open the door, and for one of the first times in a while, the man wasn’t behind the counter and ready to cheerfully greet them.

“Steal anything and I’ll rat you out,” Rowena threatened, much to her younger sister’s annoyance.

“I wasn’t going to.” She replied bitterly. 

Wasn’t going to, yeah right. If Celest saw something on the shelves she insanely desired then there was a good chance she was going to pocket it in hopes that no one would notice. Not that Dennis would pay any attention to a packet of pellets going missing from inventory, but if he did, he would know exactly who to turn to. 

Even so, the general store was always a good place to just amble around, It was shielded from the heat, sun, and the radio was always playing an unoriginal signal from New California. It was like the one here in the Mojave but with music, her mother would always perk up to. Since Rowena noticed that, the memory made it appealing to her ears, as it was probably something her mother listened to before she was born. 

“I don’t see anything new.” Celestine peeked her head through one of the metal shelves to meet gazes with her sister who was on the other side. “Can we go now?”

“You can.” She voiced, the soft grin on her little sister’s lips slowly crumbling at those words, “I like the music.” 

 

* * *

 

The hound’s bark echoed across the airport, the metal chain holding the animal in place clanked against the concrete every time the dog lurched forward, snarling angrily. Through his goggles, the assassin glared at the animal, his hand moving to adjust the NCR tag hanging around his neck. Getting into Camp Searchlight went off without a hitch, and all he did was pick the crusted blood off of the Dog-tag and it was good as new.

Approaching the buildings, the soldier outside of the watchtower physically constrain the dog from pouncing in his direction, “stand down.” He snapped, “and you. State your business.”

“Recently stationed today, here is the paperwork.” And not a speck of blood on it showed. Pulling out the neatly folded documents from the pockets of his wraps, he handed them over. There was no photo of the transfer, just the name and directions of an NCR follower. 

“Private James Docken, here on business from California, aye? I didn’t know the Lieutenant of Omega got men from north stationed down here so fast.” 

“Just following my orders, sir.” Disgust grew inside of his body at the words of respect, knowing that none of these filthy profligates deserved his regards. Especially when they turned a blind eye to a man who didn’t show his face. _Stultus_ , ignorant fools. 

With a nod as a sign of approval, he handed the document back. The dog still growling at his side but came to the conclusion that nothing would be done about the unrecognized scent. The NCR trooper stepped away to let him pass through. This was almost too easy, there had to be a catch. 

The watchtower was quiet and not a single soul on the flight of stairs. Perhaps it was a one-man job, two men at the very most. Only making it easier for him to complete his mission.

The sound of interference from the radios became much clearer as he sauntered up to the steps. A man’s voice reporting back over the device. “-Nothing unusual sir, just the patrol squads and gecks, GOFO. Recon member Grim is being an oxygen thief for the gen from the looks of it. The airport has a few Radscorpions but the terrain seems clear. Over.”

Damn right it’s over. Surfacing in the foot of the room, he found the NCR representative sitting in a rolling chair. He set the speaker unit on the coffee table and moved to pick up a small ceramic mug, resuming to his mindless clicks and typing on his terminal. 

Stealthily, he unsheathed his machete, sulking on the toes of his boots. The scratching of the radio muffled his sounds, enough for the assassin to put his mission into action. 

“What the fuck- Hey!” 

The NCR soldier kicked back from the table, his chair slipping out from under his form at the sight of the machete in the Legion infiltrator’s hand. His arms rose in defense once the sharp weapon came down, slicing the material of his wraps and cutting through the flesh of his forearm. He shouted in agony, but it was too high up for the noise to echo all the way down the flight of stairs and alert the trooper guarding the door. 

Stabbing, slashing, cutting, soon there was not a speck of beige left on the dying man’s armor wraps that wasn't soaked in blood. “Die you miserable fucking _degenerate_.” He seethed through his teeth, his words trembling with adrenaline. The weight of his body pinned the profligate down while he sunk the machete through the cartilage of his ribcage to puncture his vital organs. The trooper gurgled, blood infused spit cascading out of the sides of his lips. His limbs sagging to his side in defeat. 

The Legion assassin let go of a trembling sigh, retracting the blade from the body. The wide eyes of the man he slaughtered followed his movements in his last moments alive. It was pleasurable to watch his gaze gloss over, lulling and clouding with death. _“Aut Caesar aut nihil,”_ He whispered deeply.

The man below him coughed, a string of gore shooting up to stick to the Legionary’s face wrap. He moved the machete down once more, diligently steadying the blade on the NCR soldier's neck before slicing it open. 

“You damn well better be sure everything is clear. Omega’s Pepper is back from patrol, you’re the only eyes that far out for fifteen minutes.” 

He pulled the goggles up and on top of his trooper’s helmet and brought down his face mask to take a clean breath. Cold eyes staring at the deceased profligate under him. The Legionary rose to his feet, setting the sullied machete on the coffee table beside the radio transmitter. He picked up the spilled coffee up and set it upright. There was another sharp sound of static, “Private Eddens?”

He cleared his throat, reaching his bloodied hand out for the radio and pressed on the PTT. “Sorry sir, schedule just changed. Eddens is heading out,” he replied, sitting down in the rolling chair with the seat still warm. 

It took a moment for a reply, “no problem. What do you see out there, soldier?”

A grin manifested on his lips. From what he could see the landscape was clean, other than the scorpions. That wouldn’t do. “There seems to be a pack of geckos out west that needs taking care of, other than that? No. I’ll alert you immediately if I see a threat. Over.” 

He released the button, glancing at the device before changing the frequency. Passing by a few music stations until he found the correct wave. Nothing more than the soft buzz of silence on the other end. “ _Centurio_. Infiltration complete. Next move is yours, _vale_.”

 

 * * *

 

“Geckos are manifesting out west, and there are more radscorpions in the airport. How about instead of carelessly breaking the fire station garage you go do real work? That’s an order.”

At the sound of the Lieutenant’s sudden words, it not only stunned the three troopers working to position a pipe underneath the doors but Corporal Aarons who was helping them. He rose an eyebrow at Lee who, even on her day off, decided to work. The four men halted their fruitless attempts and allowed the doors to close, “yes ma’am.” They spoke, abandoning their former task almost immediately, all except Aarons. 

“You don’t have work today, what are you doing?”

“Realizing I shouldn’t have days off when someone is walking around ordering able-bodied soldiers and one of my recons to lift a door.” She adjusted the documents in her grasp, shutting the fire station door behind her to march off the steps and over to him. She reached out to catch the lit cigarette inside of his mouth, throwing it on the ground, crushing it underneath her boots wordlessly. “Grim is up and walking from what I saw. So where is Pepper?”

He glared down at the small circle of ash and filler on the sand before responding. “Her and Spin are leading a patrol squad with some troops. They may be back by now.” He dropped the metal pipe, allowing it to clatter down to the road. “She already wrote the reports on her own, if that’s what you’re asking. She said Grim’s grammar is the worst.”

“Figures.” Pepper always was a perfectionist when it came to reports, and the Lieutenant could understand that. With even one word out of line, you could rub the men behind the desks the wrong way and they’d allow you to perish. “Has there been any response from the airports?”

“Just the Geckos and scorpions, so the usual. So that’s always good.” 

Lee Davis grunted in response, adjusting the fit of her uniform. “I suppose it is. I’m going to ask Pepper and Spin to command that patrol squad up to the airport and take out those radscorpions.”

“Yeah, no problem, I have my hands completely full over here.” She supposed his comment was supposed to be sardonic, in which she did not give him the satisfaction of seeing her amused. He smiled coyly, almost as if he desired to be ordered around. 

“Go find my girls, make sure they aren’t causing trouble.” She commanded with a stern nod of her head. She didn’t wait for the corporal’s reply. Adjusting the fit of her beret and strutting down the road. 

 

* * *

 

“Do those gunshots sound a little close to you?”

Celestine's timorous words made Rowena glance up from the worn out cover of a Guns & Bullets magazine that she found in a discount bucket, her sister’s fingers wrapped tightly around the metal shelving bars with her head craned to peer over at the door. 

Both of them stayed silent for a moment, listening intently to the sounds coming from outside the door. The echoing of the firearms was close, maybe a bit closer than what she was used to hearing on a daily basis. “A little,” she replied, turning back to the pre-war comic in her hands. She tossed it back in the bin with a sigh. “With the radio, it’s a bit hard to tell.”

“Then turn it down.” Celestine retorted, a scoff escaping her mouth. “Nothing good is playing anyway.”

“Shut u-”

The words strangled inside of her throat after a familiar ringing of bells echoed outside of the general store door. For a moment Rowena thought it was the sound of the church bells signaling midday, but when they blared louder and dragged out with the gunshots growing much sharper, it became clear that the sirens were coming from the airport.

Rowena felt her stomach drop to her knees, her legs like a couple of cement bricks stuck to the flooring. Celestine’s blonde head whipped over to meet her gaze. Eyes wide with concern growing inside of them. Waiting for words of action from her older sister. 

“Get behind the counter,” she demanded, spitting the words out so fast that they blurred together. “Team Omega will look for us. Turn off the radio.”

Celestine nodded tensely and the two girls scampered into action, boots skidded against the wood. Rowena joined her little sister behind the front desk, shoving her up against a sack of yeast so they could both fit and hide from the sight of the door. Before she fell to her knees beside Celest on the floorboards she flipped the light off. The store went completely dark.

With the absence of the radio, both of them sat there in petrified silence. The airport sirens still blaring out into Camp Searchlight. The firing sounded like it was just outside of the building, screaming lived on out in the streets, as well as muffled orders being shouted over the chaos. 

“What’s going on?” Celestine whispered, her hands moved to wrap around her sister’s bicep. Rowena didn’t know how to answer. Her head swam and her heart pounded, for what seemed to be out about a thousand miles ahead of her. The two of them were in the same boat here, and all they had as solutions was the noise outside. 

Those had to be the raid sirens. The NCR soldiers at the airport usually tested them every month or so to make sure that they still worked. Every time they went off it made deep chills run down Rowena’s spine. In all her years of being alive, Camp Searchlight never needed to use them, surely there would've been a warning if it was just a test. 

“Dennis keeps a handgun by the cash register,” Celestine reminded her once realizing she wasn't responding to her question. Rowena looked up to stare at her. Celest wrapped her hair around her index finger, shaking against the large sack. Her eyes trailed up to the countertop, pleading her to search for the weapon.

 _“I’m not shooting anyone.”_ Rowena spat, her heart skipping a few beats at the idea of it. God, what if the time comes and she needs to? Her little sister’s life in her hands and the only way to save them both would be to pull the trigger? Her hands were unsteady, how could she be able to do that? Take a life?

Rowena hesitated, fingers twitching at her side before leaping to her feet and searching through the small compartments underneath the countertop for that small handgun. Her fingers touched the cool metal, sending deep chills down her spine as she took it into her hands. “Fine, alright.”

She cocked the gun, just as her mother taught her. The piece of metal fighting back much more than the one on the hunting rifle she usually used. Rowena clicked off the safety, while they listened to the sound of shouting in the streets. NCR soldiers shouting orders. Muffled words of “Legion bastards” before more gunshots rang out. 

“Legion?” Celestine echoed, the fear building inside of those words. Rowena kneeled back down, her fingers clenching around the grip of the sidearm so hard that her fingers were growing numb. “Row what’s going to happen to mom and-”

“I don’t know.” She whispered, oh god, what _was_ going to happen to them?

The shouting was getting louder, the gunshots didn’t seem to stop. Celestine couldn’t hold it in anymore, with the dread of what could happen to them, and what could be happening to their family out there, she began to cry. Her breathing going off course and her gentle sobs and hicks filled the room. 

Rowena couldn’t cry, she had to stay strong. She had to make sure the only ones coming through that door were members of the New California Republic or Team Omega. She turned to her sister, gently setting the handgun on the rough floorboards. “Celest,” she whispered, her hands wrapping around her sister’s wrists. It caught her attention, eyes that were squeezed shut peeked open to look at her. “Team Omega is looking for us at home or in the church right now, alright? They’ll reach the general store and find us. They’re okay.”

Rowena slowly moved Celestine’s hands forward, slowly placing them over her ears so her little sister did not hear the screams or the gunshots. The girl complied, clenching her earlobes to assist in blocking out the sounds.

The door opened, and not only did the firing of the guns grow much more evident, but the midday sunlight streamed in to fill the shop with light. Hope grew, Rowena grabbed the gun and rose to her feet, eyes wide, staring at the figure stepping in through the door.

“Spin-?”

No. . . Not Uncle Spin-Up, she took a faltering step back, her heel meeting with the wall. Grim always enthusiastically described the look of legionary attire and weaponry. Saying they had large pads on their shoulders and crimson colored armor with large machetes and sometimes marksman carbines. They spoke Latin she sometimes came across in textbooks and almost never showed their faces.

The stories never did live up to reality. Rowena didn’t hesitate in raising her gun, fingers trembling over the trigger. She'd never used a handgun in her entire life, only rifles. “Stay away,” she spat, she couldn’t even see the face of the person she was pointing the gun at. All that filled her ears was the sound of her friends and neighbors dying in the streets.

He took one good look at her through his vizard and marched forward. Rowena never expected someone to ever do such a thing when a weapon was pointed directly at them. Rowena clenched her teeth, shouting in frustration before squeezing the trigger. The kickback almost too much for her to bare, jerking her arms back and nearly slamming against her chest. She missed him entirely, the bullet fired up and into the ceiling.

She fired once more before he came close enough to pull the gun from her hands, throwing it across the room before promptly manhandling her.

“Rowena!” Celestine yelled, loud enough that someone outside of the general store could've heard. What surprised her the most was when her sister scampered forward and began prying the legionary’s fingers from around her waist.

Rowena’s arms flew up, trying to smack at the man with her elbow, hoping that the impact would result in her being dropped. Her heart hammered against her chest, her little sister trying to drag her back to the counter with the man pulling her closer to the doorway, Rowena’s leg flew out to catch one of the metal shelves with hope that it would help in pulling her to a halt, but the most it did was lag for a few seconds before the unit toppled over. The wooden boxes and containers crashing to the ground.

“Wait your turn, profligate!” The first words from the faceless legionary, with that he hauled Rowena to the side, freeing his hand to strike Celestine hard across the face.

“You bastard!” Rowena screamed - words her mother would surely enjoy scrubbing out of her mouth with soap. Her mind went blank when watching her sister stumble and fall to the floorboards, a pitiful sob escaping her as she fell on top of the shelving unit. 

Rowena swung her fist at his jaw, but the sound of sudden gunfire much closer than any of the other ones out in the streets ricocheted off of the walls, causing her ears to ring while feeling something splatter onto her face. The man fell to the floor, nearly taking her down with him. 

Celestine was the first to scream. Rowena sputtering, her eyes the size of saucers as she steadied her weight on her feet, she looked down, the legionary dying at her feet on the floorboards, she wasn’t sure if she could have yelled if she wanted to, her chest was so heavy it felt like her lungs transformed into solid iron.

Corporal Aarons lowered his weapon, the girls had never seen the look on his face, his appearance almost ghoulish with the splatters of the enemy's blood all over his uniform with a spiteful glare casted down at the dead legionary. He stepped through the archway of the door and moved away from the light. He grabbed Rowena to pull her away from the doorway, as well as lifting Celestine up from the floorboards and taking them into the shadows. Her younger sister held back her hicks and cries as he stared at the both of them with an intense heartfelt stare 

Corporal Aarons, softened his tone. “You need to listen to me, both of you.” They were too stunned to do anything else otherwise, Aarons moved his hand up to clean off the small trace of blood off of Rowena’s cheekbone with the pad of his thumb. “We’re going to get the both of you out of the camp and somewhere safe. Stay close to me. Understand? No matter what.”

“Where’s mom?” Celestine frantically demanded, her tear filled eyes still determined to stare the older man down. He didn’t answer, maybe sparking some doubt in his mind, maybe he didn’t even know where mother was either. The thought of it made turmoil start in Rowena’s guts, her insides beginning to knot up with dread.

“Hold hands.” He commanded, something Celest didn't need to be told twice, with her fingers moving to snake around her older sister’s wrist and squeezing it tight. Corporal Aarons dropped his hold on his rifle to pull the small handgun out of the holster around his khakis and pulled back the safety. His hand moving to grab the strap of Rowena’s sundress, they marched out the door. 

* * *

 

“Grim!”

He took his shot at the Legionary currently running at one of the troopers out on the road, pulling back, he spun around just in time to witness Sergeant Pepper slammed her sniper's stock into the back of a legion scout’s head. He nearly cut open the back of Grim's neck without him noticing. She cursed and gritted her teeth, quickly looking around at their surroundings. 

“Thanks, but I don’t owe you for that,” He retaliated, to which she rolled her eyes. There was no time for his commentary. Pepper didn’t know how he could joke right now, especially given the horrid circumstances.

“Where’s Lee?” She demanded, ignoring him. She adjusted the weight of her weapon. “Aarons went to find the girls and the lieutenant isn’t anywhere to be found.” 

His jaw sagged while he pondered, “I fucking swore I saw her heading to the airport.”

Watching her, Pepper could've spat fire with the look she bore, an expression combined with both anguish and fury. “Half the fucking raid _came_ through the airport you motherf-”

Grim cut her off, his gun leveling to shoot at one of the attackers coming towards Spin-Up down by the medical tents, saving the recon’s hide without him even aware of it. He stared at Pepper, her eyes broadened while she muttered to herself. Grim wanted to ask, but nothing left his lips in time. “I’m going to find her,” Pepper promised, something more to assure herself than him. “If she's at the airport, then I need to make sure she’s alive.” 

“Fuck, alright, go find her Peps.” The nickname was inappropriate under manner, place, and position. Even so, she was glad to hear his encouragement. Nodding sternly, she held her gun and ran down the road. He didn’t watch her go, moving down to join the fight.

* * *

 

Their legs could hardly keep up, Celestine and Rowena weren't sure if it was better to cover their eyes or ears since they only had one hand unoccupied. The gunshots and bellows were echoing inside of Row’s head, making sure that they would be something she could never shake off. The smell of smoke and burning hair lingered in the air and Rowena soon realized she could hardly move. Aarons dragged both of them forward with Rowena's sandals scratching against the rubbled asphalt.

Escape. They had to escape the once safest place for them to be. 

Celestine’s fingers dug into her wrist, like a handful of nails prickling into her skin. The Legion were brutal, she'd never seen so, much _blood_. It paved the sand below and watered the parched grass, faceless men and women she possibly knew laid on the ground, making their hometown both a graveyard and a battlefield. People being bludgeoned to death on the steps to their homes and others in front of the station doors. Corporal Aarons didn't give them time to ogle, dragging them forward.

But the movement was cut short, “Aarons!” Celestine shouted, her fingers sunk deeper into Rowena’s arm and her exclaim made him jerk up. His handgun moving to aim at the Legionary coming closer to the girl. He didn’t even blink when he pulled the trigger. Firing through the man’s head like a hot knife through butter.

Perhaps, it would've been better if Rowena didn’t have eyes to see with.

They didn’t stop, and only more came, as if seeing the sight of his 1st recon beret made him more damn attractive than a pinup girl on an old pre-war magazine. He noticed as well, which only made his hold on the back of Row’s sundress tighten. “Fuck.” He spat, words he never dared to say in her presence before. He fired once more, the sound clouding her hearing, something she could give thanks for. His eyes darted to the side, quickly searching for one of the members of Team Omega but to no avail.

He pulled the both of them back, cursing once more before releasing his hold on Rowena’s back. She couldn’t watch, eyes darting in the opposite direction of where his weapon was pointed, slowly there was becoming much fewer troopers and seemingly more Legion as time progressed. Aarons panicked, shaking his head, “Row, take your sister and run. Now!”

“But what about y-”

The firing of his gun cut her off, tears prickled the corners of her eyes and she complied. Celestine pleaded, shaking her head and sobbing for him to come with them. It was beginning to become hard to breathe, watching him turn back to the legionaries to fire, she hauled her sister forward, starting to sprint down the road with her chest weighing a thousand pounds.

 

 

Aarons didn't give himself the time to watch them go, firing off a few caps in the direction of the men coming at him as he pulled his 1st recon beret from his head. One of the team members had to be around somewhere, the camp was only so damn big. He fired, taking note of the heavy carbine a man with a feathered helmet held. 

Only enough time to act, he dashed behind the concrete barriers set off on the right side of the road. The gunshots blending in well with the fellow firing rounds and screaming. He hunched down, one of the bullets chipping away at the building material. He peeked around the left side and took a blind shot in their general direction, hoping that it would help his cause. 

He waited, keeping his fervent energy at bay, what the fuck did he just do? It would've been better to stay with Celestine and Rowena, even with half a dozen Legionaries tailing them. They knew what to do in times of a crisis, but they never expect anything to happen. It was always just team Omega’s paranoia. The worst was here, and surely they were too stunned to make the right decisions.

Once the legionary's ammunition was spent, Aarons took his shot at the reloading gunman and peeked over the barrier. He shot a few bullets at the marksman's headgear and killed him. He didn’t have time to deal with the others, he needed to find one of his squadmates. 

Getting his wish was easy enough, rushing from his opponents and closer to the east side church he was able to spot Specialist Grim fighting back a Legionary explorer by smacking the stock of his rifle against the man's face, spouting off curses and foul language of a different kind, even for _his_ kind. Grim slammed his gun against the legionary’s temple, knocking him off his feet. 

“Grim!” He started forward, his partner looked up to see him just as a searing pain split through his abdomen. Aarons didn’t get to react, his back slamming into something warm with a hand grabbing his shoulder to keep him still, a machete pushing deeper through his back. Grim’s eyes widen with sheer horror and his mouth gaped. 

“NO!” 

The corners of his vision went white, his partner rose his weapon and took a shot in Aarons' direction. The bullet ran past him, and suddenly the weight holding him up was gone. He couldn’t feel his limbs, the handgun in his grasp dropped to the sand. He pressed his fingers over the trauma and collapsed.

“Aarons!”

His partner was never known to run so he knew this wasn’t good. The pain running through his body was unbearable, so much that he began caving in on himself. He must've been ripped open with his guts spilling out through the wound. Grim stumbled to his knees, grabbing Aarons' shoulders to drag him out of the road and closer to the church stairs. “ _Fucking shit!_  Fuck! Oh my god, Aarons, buddy? Come on, you can hear me right?”

“G-Grim I-”

“Medic! We need a fucking medic over here dammit! _Fuck!”_   Grim’s wide eyes moved back to Aarons' face. He was as white as northern snow, but his torso was the flames from hell. “It’s okay bud, you’re going to be just fine. You hear me you badass recon? Everything's fine. It’s just a flesh wound-”

“Grim I can’t-” a cough cut him off, he never knew such a normal bodily function could be so painful, the horrorstruck expression on his partner’s face confirmed that it wasn't spit dribbling from his mouth, but blood. “Grim, find Row and Celest.”

“Fuck, Aarons-”

“Go get them, I told them to run west-”

“-Please _no-”_

“-towards Nipton-”

“- _don’t._ Aarons don’t do this-”

“-I’m already dead, go make sure they’re-”

“Please-” Grim’s eyes brimmed with tears and his chin trembled. It made Aarons remember the first time they met, that first day the kid joined the team, Grim being about eighteen and looking at them like they were pre-war technology. He shook his head, “you can't do this to me. I'm not supposed to let you d-”

“Help the girls.” He tried to raise his blanching hand, with the motion he saw the staggering amount of crimson staining the tips of his fingers, Aarons struggled to shove his partner away. “Please! P-Please go. I’m alright.” 

He wasn’t, by God and all that was fucking above, he wasn’t. Grim knew, looking at his partner he _knew_ that this would be the end. There was a staggering chance that this would be the last time he ever set eyes on his friend alive. Tears ran down his face, there was no holding them back, while his expression soured, he nodded hastily. Aarons watched him scramble to his feet and continued down the road, leaving him alone in the sand. 

That didn't mean he didn’t have the life in him to do something that needed to be done. He propped his body up on his elbows to pitifully crawl towards the stone steps of the pre-war chapel. Every movement of his torso provided him with aching pain that echoed throughout his insides, making him wonder whether it was worth moving or not. Fortunately, the church doors were inched open, almost like they were open for him. He didn't have the strength to open them himself and continue on inside. 

Aarons managed to pull his body to his knees, crawling on all fours past the archway of the door and into the house of God, a comforting place to die, and one with purpose. 

“Urgh.” He crumbled, blood dripped to the wooden floorboards as he moved his right hand back to the wound, pressing it over the gash in hopes that it would serve in stopping the constant feeling of his intestines trying to leak from his body. The blood kept coming, draining from his form like a meaningless detox. He pulled himself closer to the altar, He set his mind out on completing this mission, and he would damn well carry it out. 

Wavering, Aarons' left leg sagged and he collapsed at the foot of the altar, his blood-stained hand flew out to catch the front of the wooden table to stop himself from falling flat, his bloodied fingerprints smeared on the timber. He gently moved to lower his back against it, slumping down with his head pulled forward, enabling him to see the mark of where the machete cut through his armor. There was a growing pool of blood centered on his NCR wraps. 

Aarons felt around in his pockets, his hand was weak and growing stiff. Usually, he left such last resort materials in the pockets lowest on his khakis, padding down himself just as the church doors were pushed open.

_“F. . . Fuck.”_

He couldn't look up, the curt words of Latin let him know that if he didn’t work fast enough then he would die of something much worse than blood loss. He only had so much time, legionaries were moving in through the chapel doors, to either take him alive or execute him in the house of God as some type of warning to his team and the NCR stationed in the Mojave desert. 

_Found it._

With his hands wrapped tightly around the weapon, he glanced up, his finger finding the pin, grasping it with his weak and trembling fingers, his heart was racing which only caused more blood to soak through his back and chest. A man in centurion armor walked composedly down the aisles with a bloodied chainsaw in his hands, it rumbled, the blades still spinning. Aarons' chest heaved at the sight. 

He was sure he could see a sick fucking smirk on his lips underneath his helmet. “The mighty Caesar will hear of this grand day, the day the Republic’s hand was weakened, your death will be celebrated, you NCR _vastum.”_

Aarons smiled, lips trembling as the man adjusted the fit of his face mask. His men, lining up behind him, ready to witness the soldier's death. That was fine. Aarons let his mind focus on the good that occurred in his life and everything he's done since joining the California Republic. Befriending Lee Davis even though she was the most stuck up person ever sorted in the recons, saving Pepper from being assaulted in Flagstaff, helping Spin-Up better his aim so he could stay on the team, aiding the squad in becoming heroes for so many kids out there who wanted to join up with the NCR, including his very own partner, as well as his help in raising two wonderful girls. 

With that lasting grin on his lips, he pulled the pin to the grenade in his pocket. “We’re already dead, you bitch.” 

 

* * *

 

The explosion was large enough to interrupt the battle.

It affected the people closest to the doors when the church's roof went up into raging flames. The exterior of the walls blew out in all directions. The sound rang out in the ears of everyone within close range, it confused many Legionaries which gave the NCR the leverage they desperately needed. 

Grim stared over his shoulder, gasping in disbelief. The fire and smoke formed a small cloud over the chapel. It rumbled over the gunfire, and just for that moment, nothing, nothing but the eruption could be heard. “Aarons. . . ” He whispered before gritting his teeth, his muscles strained with his fingernails biting into his palms. Grim couldn’t seem to move his feet, it was like they'd been bolted into the sand. Yet somehow, he found a way to continue his search. Heart throbbing and pounding in his chest, his brain disconnected from his head, he bellowed out as he covered the terrain. 

“Dammit! Celes-” He shook his head, his throat was beginning to close up, swallowing the words before he could fully spit them out. The landscape was empty and the Legion were all focused and had their utmost focus on Camp Searchlight. Grim choked, and his chest was hollow with his eyes stinging like the soles of his feet. 

He _had_ to find them

Aarons asked that of him. His partner who used some of his final fucking breaths asked him to do _something_ , he needed to do it, if not for himself, then for _him_. He couldn’t fail his best friend, he couldn’t, he wouldn't fail h- 

They couldn’t have gone too far, surely they would have heard him calling for them. Grim patrolled this part of the wasteland for a goddamn decade, he knew everything about it, especially how far away you would have to be before the echo of a voice would stop ringing out. He couldn’t stop, he needed to find them because. . .

“God, _n-_ ” he stumbled, overcome with emotion, his fingers pressing over his mouth to keep from sputtering. He knew what this meant. _“No_. . . No, no-”

He glanced back over his shoulder, Camp Searchlight wasn't too far, still in reach and the smoke cloud overhead of the chapel was still evident against the sky. His mouth sagged open with his eyes dragging over the ground. Grim fell to his knees. His forehead resting in his hands. “No. . .”

 

* * *

 

“Kill every last one of these goddamn bastards!” Spin-Up shouted, his heart still aching in his chest with how fast it was beating. It didn't take much to shift the powers, gaining leverage over the legion raid party, after the chapel suddenly caught fire, the Legion suspiciously lost their spark.

Spin fired resentfully at any crimson color that came into his sights, lips gnarling and eyes so full of hate, god only knows what Aarons would say about the look he had about him. He soon found it fruitless to battle, seeing the large numbers the NCR still holding control over the handful the legion still left, he trusted his fellow soldiers to carry out the mission. Spotting Pepper sprinting back down the road from where she was at the airport, he moved forward, the gunshots slimming into scarce amounts.

“Where’s the Lieutenant?” He urged, the look in the Sergeant’s eyes implied enough to make his stomach drop. She shook her head.

“The men were dead. All of them. I didn’t see Lee’s body and not even one legion corpse.”

Spin-Up felt like his ribs were closing in on him. “Maybe she made it out.” He spoke, Pepper opened her mouth to retaliate, but couldn’t find it in her. 

“We need to find the team. Go search out Aarons, the girls are with him, and Grim probably is too. We’ll find the Lieutenant.” With a curt look at the ground, she felt the need to pull the red beret from the top of her head, in her respects to her fallen comrades. She swallowed thickly. “I heard the explosion, tell me what happened.”

Spin was nearly speechless, shaking his head while catching his breath. “I don’t know, I didn’t think the Legion had any bombs, but it’s in complete shambles. We need to get the fire department up and running immediately.” 

The final gunshots rang out. Pepper nodded, brushing past her teammate to move towards the remaining men, shouting orders over the quiet sobs, pained groans and the crackling of fires. Spin didn’t turn to stare at her leave, eyes closing with his head angled towards the road. 

“Medics better get to work! Anyone with medical experience better help the ones who have fallen! Everyone else put out these damn fires!” 

They’re going to have to bury the dead, Spin didn't have time to take that into consideration. With one good look around, he saw how many died today, whether it was legion lives or his brothers and sisters in arms. Just as Beatrice did, he rose a dark hand to remove his 1st recon beret, stuffing it into his trousers. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A moment of silence for Corporal Aarons, another moment of silence for the sanity of Team Omega. And yet ANOTHER moment of silence for me, because my mom is going to kill me for murdering her favorite character.
> 
> "She didn't think about them much, Elest wondered what happened to Team Omega after the church exploded and her mother went missing." -Chp. 7 of Frankincense And Myrrh. Don't say I didn't warn y'all
> 
> The next chapter is what you could call: The Beginning Of The End... Stay tuned.


	6. Wishful Thinking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm sorry it has to end this way. If you promise not to cry, then I'll tell you what I would say if I could be with you. I would sing you to sleep, never let them take the light behind your eyes." -My Chemical Romance, The Light Behind Your Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not been in a good place mentally, so apologies for the slight decrease in my writing performance as it has also affected how I view my writing. Hopefully you don't notice it too much, still, enjoy!

“Grim?”

Staring down at him, Spin-Up realized he could hardly recognize him. The specialist sat numbly out in the sun over a quarter-mile from the camp, his head hanging low with his rifle put out in front of him. He didn’t stiffen at the sound of his name, it led to Spin believing that he didn't hear him.

Carefully, Spin-Up stepped forward, concern beginning to fester once he noticed that the recon’s hands were stained with blood as well as being smeared deep into his wraps and khakis. Though he didn't seem injured, it induced the flow of confusion. His words fumbled in his mouth. “Grim, where are the girls? We. . . We can’t find Aarons anywhere. Why are you- Why are you out here alone?”

Grim sputtered, spit dribbling down from his lip, bloodied hands shaking as he craned his head up, his eyes blinded by the sunlight. “He- He told me to find them, t-told me to-” He was cut off by his own feeble sob, Spin-Up straightened his spine, arms lowering to his side. “I failed, I-”

“Hey, hey Grim, no.” He kneeled down, knees scraping against the hot sand as he settled alongside his teammate. “Don’t worry, alright? Come on, we’ll find Aarons and the girls. They couldn’t have gone far. Come on man.”

Grim shook his head, the words dying on his lips just before they escape. He couldn’t find the right syllables, all of them seemed wrong, how could he even begin to explain to a member of his family what happened? What grave mistake he made, resulting in the lives of their kin? Spin-up clasped his hands over the Specialist's bicep, aiding him to his feet while Grim tried to utter out the formations of the same old sentence.

“He told me to find them and I-”

“Grim calm down, come on, come with me.” Spin was always the one in Team Omega to comfort those disturbed from battle or civilians in need of reassurance. He was told by his teammates that it was his soothing tone and comforting presence, he never thought that one day he'd be calming down a member of his team, his family. Grim's usual disgusting and sarcastic disposition was replaced with something clouded and disoriented. Spin’s palm rested tenderly on the Grim's shoulder as he helped him walk.

He couldn’t believe it, not even a few hours ago he saw him shouting profanity at the common legionnaire while fighting tooth and nail, laughing in the faces of his enemies and running around like a fiend on slasher, but now this? Something was wrong. _Terribly_ wrong.

“Come on, walk with me.” He spoke once more as if he was conversing with a child, the idea made an ache start deep within his stomach. Walking back to Camp Searchlight, the fire from the East church had been put out, only taking a few dozen buckets of water before the flames extinguished. Nothing was left but smoke, rubble, and remains. Some of the church stood, yet it resembled the Searchlight West Chapel with the absence of the roof and walls. The sight was more distressing than it had been while engulfed in fire. Now? It was nothing more than a skeleton of pre-war faith.

“A-Aarons, he-” Grim whispered, fervently attempting to catch the attention of Spin-Up who trotted forward, his arm looped with his comrade’s. “The. . . The b-blood-”

“It’s alright, we’ll find him.”

“T-The _blood_ S-Spin-”

Spin-up could only guess that Grim was referring to the amount of gore that spattered over the sand and roads as they sauntered close to the medical tents. Troopers who still had able bodies were dragging off fallen men and corpses of legionaries behind the destruction of the East church.

“Burn the legion!” Spin heard Sergeant B. Pepper shout, the venom in her tone could stretch for miles. He spotted her quickly, her hands wrapped firmly around a Decanas mask with the head still lodged in it in front of the general store. “Gather all the dog tags you can find and place the troopers in a separate pile!”

Her expression of fury was unmatched, Spin-Up was used to her ravenous looks, as well as her taking charge when the Lieutenant was not around, but this was different.

He knew she was afraid, they all were. With Aarons, Davis, and the girls still missing after three hours of continuous repair, they didn’t know what to think. Beatrice recognized her teammates, her tense shoulders relaxed and she dropped the dismembered Legion skull to make her way towards them.

“Thank god. Grim, are you-”

“T-The _blood-”_

“He needs to lay down.” Spin-Up interrupted, he wasn’t sure whether or not he could withstand much more of his friend’s blethering without needing to settle down himself. “He’s. . . I don’t know Sergeant, he’s not well-”

Pepper’s already vacant and glossed over eyes gaped at Grim’s blood-streaked face. His eyes brimmed with tears and his hands shaking with discomposure. It was hard to believe she was just talking to him a few hours ago, Grim had been broiling with worry but still held his usual flippant attitude. Where was it now? The only thing assuring her that this was that punk ass kid she'd grown to care for was his face, and even then something wasn't right.

Maybe this would be what broke the barrier of emotion churning inside of her, Pepper had to look away. “Take him to the tents, _now.”_

Spin-Up stared at her, so many unspoken words on his tongue. He wanted to tell her that everything would be fine, that it would turn out okay in the end, but dammit, he didn’t know. He couldn’t promise her such a thing when he didn’t know how things could _ever_ go well from here on. Spin-Up bit his tongue, nodding at her command before turning away to march down the street with Grim whispering the same words at his side.

 

* * *

 

_“Please. . . Please let me carry my daughter.”_

Hearing the plead through a condensed lead pipe, her head ached and pounded. Poison see[ping through her nerves, similar to characters in those old Pre-war novels. The taste in her mouth was vile, mixed with sand and the humidity of the desert. Rowena’s mind faded in and out of consciousness. The last thing audible for her ears was the sound of a woman grunting in pain with an unknown language being ejected at her.

Once she awoke for good, Rowena felt warm arms enveloping her body, cradling her like a child. Her form shook with each step, her muscles ached, like she was under the pressure of a dozen cement bricks.

The clanking and chiming of metal on metal encouraged her eyelids to spring open. Looking up to see her mother staring straight forward. A cold chill seeped down her spine at the look on her face, lips were strained into a cold-hearted snarl and her eyes hardened to rocks, but they were wide, wide with fear. The clanking of the metal soon became clear. The warm chains clasped tightly around her mother’s wrists were singing Rowena’s arm. She knew what this was.

“Don’t speak.” She didn't see her lips move, the simple words whispered through clenched teeth. Lee’s gaze didn't shift from the landscape ahead. Rowena wanted to nod, the ball in her throat was growing to the size of a golf ball. She closed her eyes again. The number of questions gathering in her mind was enough to cloud the blatant fear in her. Even with her mom’s stern demand, she desired to say something, _anything_.

Her bottom lip trembled, she mouthed a couple of words in hopes that her mother would catch them. _Where’s Celestine?_ She motioned over and over again, she needed to know. The last thing she remembered was looking over her shoulder to see the church going up in smoke with the explosion echoing out into the day, her ears still rang from the noise. Then. . . Pressure. She must have been grabbed. Her little sister’s screaming was still ripe in her ears. She couldn’t be dead. If she was dead then-

“I don't know.” The words should have come as a relief, but they were far from such. Celest could be out there alone, perhaps with miles between them. It meant danger. There were a few sounds of struggle conjoined with groans of pain and quiet sniffling. At least a dozen people suffered in silence, Rowena and Lee Davis counted among them.

“You’re all fuckin’ askin’ for it.” A man spat, the echo of his words came from a few of rows in front of them. “You capture two commissioned officers and you’re expecting the NCR not to fight b-”

The spiteful words fell to a sudden halt, Rowena heard a bruising impact knock the wind out of the soldier who opened his mouth. Her head cowered against her mother’s chest while some gasps of shock left the other captives. The chains pulled on everyone who was connected, jolting them to a stop while the man fell to the sand.

Silence fell. The man groaned in pain. “Two commissioned officers, huh?” A new tone crooned, an accent that sounded tribal, probably coming from the eastern lands. “All I see is pussy and mongrel chow.”

Rowena resisted the urge to peek open her eyes to check what was going on. Colonel Grant spat blood infused saliva in the sand. “Fuck you.” He seethed angrily, the words only gave him another hard blow to his body, this one must have been to the face. Given the wet and guttural sound he let out his nose must've broken. Rowena could feel her mother recoil, her torso clenched at the sight.

“Get up you filthy profligate.” The Legionary snapped, obviously dissatisfied. “One more word out of you and we make a special stop for your _crucifixion_.” 

He had half the brain to keep the rest of his opinions to himself, Legion was known to ruthlessly carry out both their threats and promises.

Lee Davis kept her head down, if eye contact was given then surely that would give the men nothing but grounds to strike her as well with the power fists wrapped securely around their hands. Praetorian Guards. More like remnants of hell. Why were they this far from their leader? She never knew them to be bellboys, then again the last time the Lieutenant saw one of them she was in Arizona with her team.

 _God. . ._ She hoped they were all still alive. Lee half expected to run into at least one of Team Omega’s members, leading her to believe that maybe there was more than one slave transporting party.

Colonel Grant slowly pulled himself to his knees, wobbly legs trying to support his body while he got to his feet. His nose was gushing blood down to the unbuttoned collar of his shirt. One more hit and a man his age and size would have been knocked out cold, especially with a punch given from a Praetorian Guard’s power fist.

The walk became silent, nothing more than the sound of chains around wrists and ankles were heard chiming together as they trudged forward. Lee Davis looked around, eyeing each Legionary to mentally tally the lot of them. _5, 7, 9. . . Damn._ Counting her and Colonel Grant there were in total about four NCR troops, the remaining captives were spouses, merchants, doctors, teachers, children, any of the remaining slots. They wouldn’t have a chance against the Legionaries even if they all rebelled at once.

Staring at the terrain, Lee pondered where they could be going. They were still on one of the main roads from the looks of it, perhaps just off the abandoned interstate heading north, or east, depending on the route you took. Her theory was soon crushed once she took a sharp glance over her shoulder to leer behind her, she saw the wearied water tower far in the distance. That’s all she needed to see in order to realize where they were going.

It explained why they were going downhill, and why all the civilians were motioned towards the front with all the troopers in the back, surely the Legionaries didn’t want them to know that they were venturing towards Cottonwood Cove. The sun cowered behind the rocks while they walked further down the road, giving the Lieutenant an estimate of the time of day.

Inching forward, they passed the rocks, crucifixes propped up on the higher terrains with men and women decorating them. Soon, the sight she was waiting for came to view, the first pearl colored shacks came to sight and the road curved. Colonel Grant grunted in pain, nearly stumbling while catering his hand to his broken nose, blood still spilling down his front. Rowena’s trembling fingers clenched around her mother’s NCR wraps, the action made Lee’s heart fill with dread, reminding her who she is and what the Legion thought of her. They wouldn’t allow her to stay near her children.

Passing by the stone sign, **Welcome to Cottonwood Cove**. It greeted, making her feel nauseous. The times she was been here were always on her own accord, whether she was stalking up on the rocks with her team or firing a bullet through their Centurion’s calf muscle. This was the end of the line and if she had any, Lee would have to keep faith in her team and hope that they found them. They had to dammit, they had to.

“Stay in line, all of you.” They were ordered, she peered around at the camp, though there was nothing to see here that she hadn’t seen a few days back on the rocks with her team. Lee was never known to waste time, if ever in danger she would always find the quickest and safest way out of the situation, but there seemed to be none, and with her little girl involved, there was no safe way to carry out an escape.

Only a bit further, the road diminished and was replaced with a crude dirt path. Much closer now, Lee heard faint chatter of both Latin and English coming from men who strayed too close. The chains around her wrists tugged gently and she complied, moving forward until the captures stood before the stone block headquarters.

Rowena’s gentle crying muffled into her attire was became a comfort in such a hopeless situation. Lee rose her hand to smooth her fingers through her daughter’s hair in hopes that it could be of support to them both. She was too young, too young to be subjected to Legion life, too young to see these sights. The longer she could hide such things from Row’s eyes, the more sane Lee could remain.

The Lieutenant looked up, Colonel Grant released a shout of surprise before beginning to spout off a few belligerent curses as his chains were unclasped and he was dragged away from the residents of Camp Searchlight. She tried not to stare, hearing the old man call the Legionaries “cock-sucking brahmin fuckers” while being marched away from them. Lee couldn’t help but shake her head. The man was always an asshole, not to mention she essentially did his job for him more times than she could count, but he didn't deserve this. None of them did.

With one commissioned officer gone, she was the only black sheep. Her dog-tag still hanging proudly around her neck for everyone with eyes to see. Suddenly, those words she spoke thirteen years ago felt like a rope around her and her daughter’s neck.  _“Lieutenant Lee Davis. The leader of the 1st Recon team: omega. Do you understand that? You centurion p-”_

“Separate them. They're worth something.”

The pressure in her chest expanded, her fingers tightened underneath her daughter’s knees and her eyes widened. It was her choice so what would she be? The mother or the Lieutenant? She always wondered why people said that she had to choose. One of the Praetorian guards nodded sternly and moved towards them.

_“Well, for starters: Lieutenants are ruthless and don’t have any weak points. Now you have a weakness, your family.” Aarons clinked his ring finger against his vodka glass. “That’s how they get to you. Threaten a mother’s kid and they unravel.”_

_“Not me.” Lee said confidently. “I’ll stay strong for my girls.”_

He didn’t wait for her to hesitantly accept their fate, the man’s fingers grabbed ahold of her daughter’s hair to pull her up and out of her mother’s arms. Rowena yelled in protest, Lee crumbled to her knees, arms wrapping around Rowena's to keep her close. “Not my daughter.” She pleaded, trying to keep her tone at a reasonable volume.

“Release the girl, profligate.” He seethed, her reaction pulling the attention of a few wandering soldiers, but nothing more. This was all a normal sight to them, women having their children ripped from their arms, never to be seen again. The citizens of Camp Searchlight could do nothing but look away with shame. “Release. Her.”

_“What?” He sputtered, head shooting up from his dinner plate. Bits of food fell from his mouth to the point where Lee wasn't sure if he rose his hand to cover his mouth from surprise, or to keep the food in. He swallowed thickly, followed by a dry cough. Lee couldn't help but grin at his reaction. He moved his hand, “again? You’re pregnant?”_

_“I think so." Lee folded her hands on the dining table. “What do you think?”_

_“What do I think?” He coughed again, and immediately after a choking fit of laughter escaped him, his eyes spiking with tears. Vance pulled himself from the chair to move around the table and wrap his arms around his wife. “I just, oh my g-”_

Rough hands grabbed her arms from behind, Lee didn't stop struggling, her fingers trembling around her daughter's shoulder as her heart pounded in panic. With a final pull, her grip failed and Rowena was pulled from her, the Legionary’s hand tight around her neck. “Mom!” It was the first thing she'd said since their arrival. They pulled Lee to her feet and kept her in place, forcing her to watch her child kick and bellow in protest.

“I love you, baby!” She replied. The tears didn't stop. “I love you.”

 

* * *

 

Rowena continued to scream long after her mother disappeared behind the large building. Kicking and struggling profusely against the Legionary, terrified that the last sight of her mother would be her stricken with sorrow and defeat, her eyes watering.

“Let me g-” lightning struck on her skin with an abrupt backhand across her face. She gasped in shock. Her hair fell in front of her face like a curtain and she immediately went silent.

“Stand still, little degenerate.” He spat, her face went red with a mix of shame and rage. He shoved his hands forward to fasten a large metal loop around her neck, the cold material made her shiver, clasping around the back of her head. The first turn made it feel like nothing more than a short string necklace around her throat, but once he continued to tighten it, the metal sank into her skin. Rowena gritted her teeth, the pressure making was like someone constantly holding their hands around her throat. “Try to run off and that pretty little head of yours will fucking blow up.” 

She didn’t know if he was serious, but the way that he said it didn't make her want to test the theory.

Not too long after, she was hauled along and caged in with other captures and shoved close to the fence. None of them she deeply recognized other than one of her teachers from the schoolhouse. The woman’s prewar dress was ripping at the seams, her wrists red and rubbed raw from the chains. She wore the same metal brace around her neck, a blinking red button just underneath her chin. Rowena pondered if hers had that as well.

“If we weren’t fucked before, then we’re definitely fucked now.” One of the troopers respired deeply, he moved his dark hand up to remove the trooper's helmet from his head, allowing his wild hair to breath. Skin slick with sweat and dirt. “No one buys men. We’re in here to die.”

“Shut up Matthews.” One of the soldiers closer to the gate retaliated, smashed spectacles still hanging on to their last limb against his face. The glass was cracked and sliced open his cheek, Rowena could tell due to the pattern of the dried blood on his face. “If your talking gets us all killed then I’ll beat your fucking ass.”

“Have fun doing that with your hands chained to a fence.” He spat back, you’d think they would all come together in hopes that they could form a plan. That’s what Team Omega would do. Why were these men acting like this was the end? That there was no saving them?

“Stop fucking talking. One word and a lucky one of you decorate a cross.” At the menace, everyone went silent. Rowena’s eyes adverted to the gate to see a legionary who ambled closer to the entrance to bore in at them, but with the threat still hanging in the air, he left.  

“Risk that one, bitch.” the trooper closest to the gate whispered to his comrade. The words made everyone’s nerves squirm in their bodies.

 

 

Her stomach rumbled as time passed, the brace around her neck began to leave an irritated red ring in her flesh, not to mention her parching tongue. Rowena didn’t know how much time had gone by. Well, enough that three NCR representatives had been taken from the cage for god knows what, all kicking and cursing in their capture’s faces with the beliefs that they had been taken out to die. Not one of them returned, the thought of it made her gut twist into a knot.

The sun shot weak beams of light over the hills as it lowered behind them. Nightfall could only be an hour or so away now, so it gave her enough time to think. Surrounded by half a dozen individuals who all shared the same thing in mind. They were Legion property. It was a fate no one could blindly accept. Rowena was alone, taken away from her mother and the hands of her family. Team Omega was somewhere out there looking for them. And hopefully, Celestine was safe with them, scared, worried, but safe.

Rowena adjusted her body in the sand. The back of the fence stabbing into her shoulder blades no matter how she sat, but she couldn’t move, If she did then maybe they would drag her out too. Kill her or tie her up to a cross like they did to so many before her. Hell, maybe that would be better.

Maybe it would.

 

* * *

 

Silence was always something that Sergeant B. Pepper treasured.

A lovely morning where she woke up before her teammates and could have a hot cup of coffee before heading out for an early patrol. She always hated the noise, the constant bickering over games of caravan where the men of the squad basically robbed each other of their allowances into the early hours of the night, Grim’s loud snoring, and not to mention Aarons who never missed the chance to wake up around 4 AM to do his push-ups.

Odd how things changed, walking into team Omega’s house last night, she expected. . . Something, some amount of chaos, whether it was Grim taking a thirty minute shower with the curtains and door wide open, or Spin-Up trying to fix the springs on the couch for the fifth time while Aarons took a nap on it. There was nothing, and no one was home. Spin-Up never came in last night, if he had then he came in soundlessly and was awake long before her, but he never was. All that remained was their mess. The unmade beds, dirty dishes, caravan cards in front of the couch, and empty cigarette packs on the coffee table. Pepper didn't fix any of it.

The clock on the wall read 6 AM, the soft ticking was the only thing that providing noise. The coffee she brewed the hour before sat on the dining table in front of her, still untouched and growing cold. Pepper kept her hands pressed against her mouth, staring down at the small pile of NCR dog tags that were all found yesterday. Twenty-five of them. Due to the legion raid the day before, these soldiers were all dead.

Lieutenant Lee Davis and Corporal Aarons’ dog tags were not in this pile.

Pepper didn’t know why it made her feel sick to her stomach. Maybe it would be better for them all to know that they had died. So many men and women she had been acquainted with in the New California Republic had gone missing, their tags nor body never found. The Sergeant was damn tired of hoping that people she knew were dead. If their tags were not in here, then Team Omega had to find them, or their bodies, as soon as possible. They _had_ to find the girls, the Lieutenant, and Aarons. This couldn’t be a stone unturned. Pepper would never forgive herself if she didn’t try.

“Goddammit.” She moved her hands from her chin to tighten them in her tangled hair to pull. The pain didn’t help with the emotion fogging her mind, but it distracted her, just for a moment.

“Pepper, you read?”

The Sergeant rubbed her eyes, her portable radio scratching at full volume alongside her untouched coffee mug. She reached over the dining table to take hold of the device. Pressing the PTT wordlessly. “Yeah, what’s your report?” Pepper rested her forehead against the small device, waiting until his message came through.

“We found out how the raid got the drop on us. There was a Legion spy up in the watchtower who murdered Eddens. We had to look at his dog tag to find out it was even him because he was so unrecognizable. Blood was everywhere, and the guy was just sitting there. He must have kept reporting whenever anything was seen so there wouldn’t be any suspicion. When we tried to arrest him he cut his own throat. I think he was the one who sent in the fake radscorpion reports.” The message sent and there was a moment of silence, Pepper didn’t know what to say to that. She hadn’t been expecting good news, she didn’t really know what she had been expecting actually. That had been the report the Lieutenant had responded to, which could have been a trap solely for Lee on its own. “Anyway,” he stated once again. “Did you find anything with the. . . You know.”

Spin sends in his report and she gives him the same treatment. Pepper hesitated, her thumb hovering over the PTT for a few seconds before pressing down. “I went through the dogtags. It’s negative, they aren’t in there.”

Pepper almost didn’t want him to reply, mainly because she knew he would try to be hopeful. “That’s good. That means they might be alive, and they might be with the girls.”

“Yeah, they might be.” She spoke, despondent. Hearing the word “might” accompanied with Spin-Up’s hopeful undertone made her much more doubtful about this than she cared to admit. Pepper always hated being the only pessimist in these types of situations. “If they aren’t dead then the second guess is that they are with the Legion, which is worse than death, and you know that. We need to make sure that theory is out of the question, understood?”

“Yeah, yeah I know, and-” he didn’t finish his call, a woman’s voice cut into his reply. The words she spoke mixing in with the interference to where she could not understand them. “-he is? What did he say? Is he-” the line went dead. Her teammate must have moved his finger from the button.

Pepper shook her head, listening to the static for a few seconds before setting the walkie-talkie down in front of her. The sergeant stared at the NCR dog tags once more before rising from her seat, grabbing hold of her coffee mug that was now too cold for her to enjoy. With a quick trip to the kitchen, she dumped its contents into the sink and set the cup inside.

 “Fuck, Pepper, you read?”

Again, her legs felt like chunks of lead everytime she moved. Still, Pepper walked back to the dining table to pick up the device. “I’m here, what?”

“Get down here. Now.”

His tone was much different than it had been moments before. Whatever that woman had said to him had filled him with fear. Whether or not it had to do with their current situation, he deemed it important enough to involve her. “Alright, where are you?” She asked.

“The medical tents, hurry up. Over.”

She bit the inside of her cheek. None of this felt right, and something was wrong, she could feel it in her heart and the pit inside of her gut was only growing larger. Pepper left the radio on the table alongside the dog tags, trotting over to the bedroom to quickly grab her hunting rifle, just in case, before leaving the home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment as I'm lonely as fuck


	7. Genesis 12:13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No time for rest, no pillow for my head, nowhere to run from this, no way to forget. Around the shadows creep, like friends they cover me. Just wanna lay me down and try to get some sleep." -SVRCINA, Meet Me On The Battlefield

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Welcome back! Thank you to my best friend Savannah for helping me through editing this, she's a saint y'all. After this chapter, everything changes, and legion life begins. Enjoy the angst!

Rowena had never gotten a sunburn before.

It was warm to the touch and red before you felt it, not to mention it dried worse than a rash. But the pain set in after and it throbbed against her bones. Once the skin rubbed up against anything, it was like a firecracker exploding right against your flesh. Which was disturbing to wake up to; the back of her arm only just brushed against the fence which deprived her the rest of her dream.

When her eyes opened, Rowena remembered where she was.

The comfort from a dream she couldn’t even remember anymore was gone. The only people left in this pen didn’t have any dog tags or any evidence to prove that they were part of the New California Republic, or even from Camp Searchlight. Now they were just people, captures, future slaves. All who were left in the pen was the school teacher, spouses, merchants, and-

Her smokey vision made out a blonde haired girl sleeping with her face squished against the fence. Suddenly, the sunburn on her face, shoulders, and chest didn’t hurt so much. “Celestine?” She whispered in disbelief, every ounce of sane thought in her mind hoping that it wasn't her little sister stuck in the same predicament as her. “Celest, wake up.”

Maybe it would be better if she stayed like that, asleep, with her conscious mind dead to the world. It was a shame that she had to stir. Rowena felt a cold chill run down her arms when her sister straightened her spine, hand moving up to brush the hair from her face. Like it was just a normal morning until she opened her eyes and saw where they were. Was that what she looked like when she woke up not even a minute ago? Confused, and beyond terrified?

Celestine pulled her knees to her chest, blue eyes widening and every ounce of exhaust falling away. She looked over at her older sister and moved to leap forward “Rowe-”

“Stop!” She snapped the words a harsh whisper. At the demand, Celest moved her hands from the sand immediately. Eyebrows pulling together with her eyes glossing over with tears. “If you move someone might see. So don’t move.”

Celestine always relied on touch when it came to fear. The idea that she had to stay still and alone must have been agonizing for her. Rowena could see her sister’s fingernails digging into her own forearm. “What’s going on? Where are we?”

Rowena didn’t have one word in mind that would help her sister see the light in this situation. If she didn’t know what was going on as soon as they were grabbed by the Legion, then she didn’t know what to tell her. “By the river somewhere. I don’t know.”

Celestine was a bit closer than she was a few moments ago, meaning she was trying to close the space between them. Which could be seen as a sign of companionship to the slavemaster who would come to check up on them soon, surely.

“Where’s mom?” Celestine whispered, and she hated the sound of fear in her sister’s words, and she hated even more that she didn’t have a good answer for her. Rowena didn’t know where their mother was because the last time she saw her, Row was ripped from her arms and dragged away from her. She could take a guess, from what had happened to all of the other NCR captures, their mom was being put to work, or dead.

“I don’t know.” She replied softly, and she really didn’t want to either.

In here, Rowena knew what happened to families. From what she learned from Team Omega’s conversations, the Legion would tear them away from each other and put miles upon miles between them. She knew as soon as she saw her sister’s face that this wouldn’t be forever, the two of them wouldn’t be in this cage together for much longer.

“How do I take this off?” Celestine pleaded, plucking at the red button on the slave collar around her throat. It was a good question, and now that she had pointed it out, Rowena was again aware of the metal brace cutting into her neck. The tears watered her vision, turning the streams of light from the horizon into thin yellow beams.

“You don’t.” She choked, letting her head roll back against the fence, she could still hear her little sister’s short fingernails clicking against the slave collar while she relentlessly attempted to pick at the collar. The thick tears seeped over, rolling down from the outer corners of Rowena’s eyes.

 

* * *

 

Soot covered the pre-war buildings due to the ash that had fallen from the fire, the blood had been washed from the roads and walls, and the Legion bodies had been burned and the others were being sent back to New California to be buried by their families. It was hour nineteen. Meaning it had been nineteen hours since the church had gone up in flames, since Aarons, Lee, and the girls had gone missing. Nineteen hours since dozens of men and civilians had been massacred in a place meant to be safe from war.

The lack of coffee this morning didn’t affect Sergeant B. Pepper much; the memories from yesterday helped in keeping her wide awake and driven. She made her way down the incline, spotting Spin-Up standing outside one of the main medical tents. His 1st Recon beret was absent from the top of his head with both of his hands wrapped tightly around his walkie-talkie, pressing it against his mouth.

“What’s wrong with Grim?” She asked immediately, her words tight in her throat. Spin looked up at her, his brown eyes bloodshot from the lack of sleep and his skin blanching. He pulled the device from his lips to clip it onto his belt. “I know this is about him, what’s wrong?” The sergeant’s jaw fastened together with her teeth beginning to ache.

The corners of his mouth tightened. “Pepper, he said that. . . Aarons was in the church.”

At the words, she relaxed her posture, shoulders falling from their tight position by her neck. He brought his hands up to cross them over his chest. With the movement, she could immediately tell that he was trembling. “He _what?”_

That was impossible, she had seen him running to the general store in the first five minutes of the raid. By then he would’ve had the Lieutenant’s girls and should have been getting them to safety, so why would he need to go to the East Church? “Let me talk to him.”

She wouldn’t be surprised if he knew that would be her response, that she wouldn’t believe him. The tension in his lips gathered at her demand. “Pepper, he isn’t talking anymore. That’s all he’ll say. He only said that Aarons was in the-”

“I said let me talk to him.” She seethed, the sentence had a bad aftertaste in her mouth. Pepper was always brusque when she spoke but it was never meant to be hurtful. His lips parted in surprise and his expression melted. She wasn’t mad at him, she was only mad at the situation at hand. Before he could try to stop her, the woman moved past him to enter through the flap of the tent.

 

Pepper was expecting it to be humid once she stepped in, but it was surprisingly low in temperature due to the use of battery powered fans trying to keep down the fevers of injured troops. There must have been a bit under a dozen beds inside. Most slept and others were narcotized to the point where they couldn’t remember their own names. The doctors worked their damndest to keep the fallen soldiers alive, maybe even themselves going without sleep.

She spotted her teammate sitting on top of a grey mattress with his knees pulled to his chest. Grim’s hair was the first thing that she recognized, the crude fiend-style hairdo with the right side of his head shaved. The rest of the hair was unkempt and greasy, sticking up from where he had pulled it with his fingers. Pepper didn’t even want to look at him, didn’t want to watch him rock back and forth when, instead, he should be making indecent comments about the doctors or talking about how they should be out there looking for their family; not standing around like a bunch of post boards.

He shouldn’t be like this. He should be up on his feet annoying the fuck out of her and working the hardest out of all them to find their people.

“Grim?” She almost didn’t know what to say, maybe if she was too blunt it would set him off, maybe being too kind would set him off as well. Moving closer was hard, up close she could see how hard he was working to distract himself from what she was going to say. “Grim, you said Aarons was in the church, what do you mean?”

How would Grim even know he was in the church? Around the time Aarons had gone to find the girls, Pepper had been saying her final goodbyes to Grim before going to the airport. It was a small window to have him run into his partner, but maybe it wasn’t impossible. “Grim, please. . . Please talk to me. What in the fuck happened to you? Why won’t you talk?”

His fingers tightened around his plain T-shirt with his lips quivering with frustration. Pepper couldn’t tell if it was from how deeply he wanted to respond, or if her demands were causing him harm. She could feel the heat building in her eyes, and her throat was beginning to fill with emotion, the sergeant shook her head. “Just. . . Fuck, nevermind." Pepper turned around, her hand raising to cover her mouth. She blinked to clear her vision of tears.

“C-Check the ch-”

Pepper looked over her shoulder with his response. Her hand fell from her scowling mouth and her eyes stared down at him. “Why, because you think he’s dead? You could at least open your mouth to tell us why.” She wasn’t mad at him, so why was her chest tightening like it was? He was trying, probably much harder than she could ever imagine. “We aren’t going to find his corpse, you hear me? He’s fucking alive out there somewhere.”

And that will be a fucking promise. Pepper could see the man’s chest heaving, and his head turned up to look at her with long streams of tears coming from his eyes that dripped down to his trembling chin. There wasn’t enough time for her to fall apart. If Grim couldn’t stay together then she needed to for the rest of them. Her heart felt like an empty case inside of her body as she left. Her limbs feeling a lot more dead than they first felt going through that flap.

Spin-Up had been waiting. Pacing in front of the medical tent with his hands over his mouth. Once he heard her step out from the tent he stopped. “Pepper I-”

“Don’t.” She snapped, holding up her hand to silence him. His mouth closed shut and his shoulders dropped. “Well, are we going to see if he’s right, or not?”

 It was clear that he didn’t want to. No one wanted to go search through piles of charcoaled rubble to find the remains of a man they considered family. It was better to not to be in denial of what could end up being the cold hard truth. Her squadmate nodded. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Good.” And that had been it. Pepper turned around and made her way down the road with a deep discomfort in her stomach.

 

* * *

 

The scent of smoke and fire had been intense on the roads and stuck to the Searchlight buildings. But none of it could compare to the smell up close, not to mention the sight. Something petrifying had gone down inside of the church before the roof of it had caught fire. What hadn’t been blown up or charcoaled beyond recognition had blood broiled into it. Chunks of flesh and dismembered legion bodies were distributed in the rubble.

But so far there had been no sign of Aarons. Which had to be good news. It had to be.

Pepper clenched her jaw, her leg flying out to kick furiously at the remnants of what seemed to be a chainsaw. Bullshit. How or why these men even made their way inside this house of God in the first place made her feel sick. Was it only for the sole purpose of blowing it all up? If so, why did they kill themselves as well?

Unless it wasn’t the Legion.

Spin-Up lifted his NCR wraps to cover his mouth and nose, his eyes had crinkled with disgust. She didn’t need to comment on his reasoning. The smell was foul, and there was no getting around that. He got on his hands and knees to look under the church benches.

The silence could have been making things worse, allowing the sound of them toppling over ash and furniture to remind them of why they were here and what they were looking for. It was like both of them were holding their breath.

Pepper rubbed the stress from her face. Looking over at Spin who was shoving aside a wooden board that had fallen from the ceiling to get to what seemed to be a severed head with a helmet still on it.

Her chest was tightening again, like a hug from her own unease. Stepping down the aisle when it looked like this made everything feel so much worse, knowing that this was what the building was going to look like for the rest of the time that it stood. The absence of the church bells this afternoon was just a punch in the gut. Everything was different, and it would stay that way.

Spin-Up groaned in complaint, and as Pepper moved down the aisle she heard the sound of the bench scraping against the floor. He was only doing what was asked of him, but the Sergeant didn’t know why Spin thought Aarons’ body would be found underneath those pieces of furniture.

With the toes of her boot, Pepper moved aside some of the rubble in front of the steps. Nothing would be underneath the ash, using the legion corpses behind her as an example, they would damn well know when they found a body. But still, looking around and spotting the bits of cooked and bloodied chunks on the ground, it made her wonder if they _would_ be aware.

There were approximately five liters of blood in the human body, and with nearly a dozen bodies in here, Pepper wasn't expecting the fire to boil it all away. . . Or at least the majority of it.

Kneeling down, she placed her hand against the front of the wood. Where it was not torched she could see flakes of crusted blood in the shape of a handprint; it was nearly black against the ash. “Spin I think I. . .”

Think she what? Found something? It was a bloodied handprint that didn’t necessarily belong to Aarons. Maybe it had been the Legion’s, or even another sorry ass NCR soldier that got stuck in here with those bastards. Pepper couldn’t keep assuming the worse, even though she knew that doing so would never disappoint her.

_“I found a Legion centurion helmet, so I’m sure one of these corpses belong to the man who led the raid.”_

There was something silver to the left of the altar. Or at least she thought there was something, under the consideration that a small chunk of wood covered it from sight. Whatever Spin-Up had announced was out of mind and she reached out blindly to grab the item from the floorboards. Her mind went blank when she heard the beaded chain scrape against the floor.

Her fingers were clenched around a discarded dog tag. Pepper didn’t know how she would be able to bring it to Spin-Up’s attention. Once she turned it over she knew she would see the name of the person she owed her life to. She could feel the pressure building on top of her chest as her breathing became ragged, her vision was beginning to fog over and with her trembling hands, she turned over the face of the tag. Her heart dropped to the heels of her boots.

 

**Isaac Aarons**

 

This was it. What they had been looking for. It was all the proof that they would need. Her fingers moved to smear the soot from the tag, wondering if she did so then she could reread it once more and not see his name. It was clear what this meant, Pepper wasn't daft.

Even so, that didn’t mean Pepper didn’t want to throw it, because she did. She wanted to squash it between the floor and the toes of her boot, snap it in two, or anything that would distract her from thinking about how this was once around Aarons' neck. "Grim was right."

Her throat was beginning to close up to the point where she couldn't breathe, like the inside of her neck was suffering from rope burn. The sergeant pulled herself to her feet with her hold tightening around the broken dog tag, the sides of it piercing the palms of her flesh. She turned around, spotting Spin-Up who was watching her from his placement on the floor.

Pepper couldn’t even bring herself to look him in the eyes. “Get ready to leave. The girls aren’t safe and we need to find them.”

She failed him, but Pepper knew damn well that Aarons wouldn’t want her to stop here, that he would want them to find Lee and her daughters. Not just for himself and the team, but for Vance, who was still all the way at the Dam and oblivious to this attack.

On her way to the church doors, she threw Aarons' tag on the ashy floorboards in front of her teammate. The metal hit the ground with a muffled clang.

 

* * *

 

Sometimes, it was a good thing to be in the know. To be able to understand the happenings inside of the group you represent and be in a position to help everyone who could be affected in the long run, but, it was fair to say that this was not one of the times Lieutenant Lee Davis wanted to be one of those people.

She could handle it, the physical pain. It was something she had to endure through training and several missions, but this specific time it was much bigger than her.

“I just said I don’t know what the NCR is doing at the dam.” Lee spat fiercely, her heart felt like a tight coil inside her chest that was going to come undone at any second now. Her arms losing their feeling from being tied behind her back for so long, and what they had used to bind her hands together was starting to shred her wrists. What exactly hurt the most, she wasn’t sure. Lee supposed that this was payback, for killing all those Legionaries in this place, as well as Arizona.

The cuts in the creases of her fingers still stung from the added salt, a fatuous way to extort information from her, but so had blatantly beaten her senseless when she didn’t answer a question a specific way. Still, that was surprisingly tame for the Legion. Lee was sure that after this interrogation they still wanted her alive. “My husband would be the one who you’d want to ask, too bad he wasn’t in your fucking _raid-”_

The words didn’t fully surpass her lips before the thermic lance the veteran had been holding was shoved right against her gut. The voltage send a painful explosion through her system and her muscles tightened to protect themselves from the damage, Lee yelled out in pain, her wounded fingers tightening into a fist, causing the salt to rub deeper into the wounds.

_Shit._

She gasped for breath once the weapon was moved back, Davis wouldn’t be shocked to find out that there was a burn mark in the shape of a circle on her abdomen. “Speak when you’re told, _woman_.”

That’s what she thought she was doing, but maybe Lee had overshared and just aggravated the son of a bitch. “You will tell me all that you know about what the NCR is doing at that fucking vallum, you hear me, _meretrīx?_ ”

“Or _what?”_ She tried to lean in closer to his asymmetrical face. She didn’t look very intimidating, perhaps if she hadn’t been restrained and blood wasn’t streaming from the corner of her mouth, Lee could've made him give a bigger response other than just furrowing his eyebrows. Lee wasn’t in the position to be making threats, especially with all that she could still lose, but she was too enraged to care. They had dragged her daughter away from her by her hair, killed her fellow soldiers, and were destroying every chance her family had of ever returning to the normal life that they had only days before.

“We got both of your spawns locked up and ready to pay for whatever mistake you make, got it?” His menace sent a chill down her spine.

Both? God. . . Fuck, that could only mean one thing. Celestine must have been with another slave transporting group. Lee felt her gut churn and plummet to her toes, her worst fear had been confirmed. Her one job, the one thing she always promised that she would do, that Team Omega would do: protect the girls, had failed. They had failed. For one of the first times in a long time, and it had to be a royal disaster.

Why couldn’t it have been small? Why did it have to cost lives?

Lee Davis knew the Legion. They were like a parasite, they had attached themselves to these deserts and were intent on sucking every ounce of love and joy they could get from this land. Whether or not she spoke about her knowledge of the dam, it wouldn’t change anything. They wouldn’t let her go and they sure as hell wouldn’t let her children go. The most she could get out of this was time, bide what little they had left in hopes that Team Omega or the remnants of Camp Searchlight will come to their aid.

This wasn’t just her battle. Lee took a deep breath. “It’s a power source, and they’re trying to find out how it works-”

 

* * *

 

“I don’t think that’s going to work.”

With her crusted and swollen eyes, Rowena glared at her younger sister. Her fingers were swollen from the constant tugging and pinching of the metal wire fence, where she'd been picking at for the past four hours had done nothing more than bend. There was no way that she would even make a hole big enough to even fit her hand through. If she did then one of the various Legion soldiers who patrolled the area would immediately spot her attempt at escaping, which would only make things remarkably worse from there on. Not to mention that the slave collar around her neck would surely not let her go close to the waters without exploding.

“You don’t know that.” Rowena huffed. Tugging once more on the fence, her finger slipped and the sharp edge of metal sliced open the tip of her finger. She hissed in surprise, retracting from her task to stick her index finger in her mouth.

Rowena could hardly believe that they were still in here. It wasn’t that she had been expecting Team Omega to find them, she wasn’t very sure about that anymore. But it was the fact that it had been a day and they were still in this one place. What was the Legion waiting for? From what her mother had said over the years, the Legion moved fast, faster than most other factions out in the Mojave including the NCR.

Perhaps it had to do with Rowena and Celestine not being anything very noteworthy. Their mother must have been a different story, as well as the Colonel, and other Camp Searchlight soldiers, they were leverage against the republic. Row and her sister were just dominance over their mother -if that was even needed now. Frankly, she wasn’t sure if they would ever see their mom again.

Since it was closer to summer, the days were stretched much longer, so Rowena wasn’t entirely sure on what time it could be. She knew that it couldn't be midday, it was at least four, maybe five. The legion would come over here any minute now to move Celestine and her to another location in order to slim the chances of anyone ever finding them

Rowena could feel her heart flutter with fear. The idea that at any moment things could change for the worse, again, made her wonder how she could cherish these last minutes -or last hour. There wasn’t anything she could say to herself to make her feel better.

“Captures,” a machete smacked against the fence so hard that the metal braces rattled. Celestine and Rowena shook in their shoes, their eyes darted up to see the legion soldier who would patrol by a few times every hour, a Legion scout five steps behind him. “Get up, with your hands out in front of you.”

That was a specific command, probably a precaution, maybe one of the NCR troopers had hidden a weapon behind their back and tried to take a Legion life with them. Celestine looked over at her with deep-rooted terror in her eyes. Hopefully, this was just an inspection to make sure that they didn’t have any broken bones or to see if their collar was still just as tight as when it was first put on. Rowena pulled herself to her feet, her knees were weak and her thighs felt tense.

“Away from each other.” He added brusquely once her little sister tried to close the space between them. Rowena couldn’t fight back the small flinch when the man moved closer and grabbed the small chain attached to the brace around her neck and cruelly pulled her forward.

Celest released a sound deep from inside her throat, and Rowena’s heart rate sped up tremendously. She nearly sighed in relief when feeling the metal collar around her neck loosen, the air running over the red and raw skin was liberating on its own. He spoke some quick Latin before shoving her towards the open gate, the Legion scout who was waiting patiently for directions nodded, reaching out to grab her by the wrist and pull her forward.

In a moment of panic, Rowena looked over her shoulder at her little sister, the slavemaster was in the midst of pulling the collar from her throat and hauling her out of the pen as well. Her heart pounded against her ribcage while tears clouded her vision. Wanting nothing more than to scream out to her sister that everything was going to be okay, but Rowena knew that nothing would come of it, just a broken promise and a closing up throat.

With every step forward, her hope scattered in the wind, her ruined shoes dragged in the sand. Time was running out, _the time of freedom was running out._

 

* * *

 

“Pepper,” her name sounded hoarse in his throat. Spin-Up fought to keep up with her strides, at the pace they were walking they would meet with their destination in less than five minutes. The Sergeant’s stomach rumbled with hunger and her mouth was dry from growing dehydration. With the lack of coffee, her mind was hazing over, and would not get any clearer, but that was more bearable than being wide awake and informed on their condition, aware that Aarons was-

“Beatrice.” He tried again, her first name this time. “We need to slow down, right now. How can we perform a rescue mission with just the two of us when we don’t even have a plan?”

“We don’t need a plan.” She snapped, her eyes stung from the lack of good rest, but she couldn't complain, it was better than them being blurred with tears. “We just need to make sure that they aren’t there.”

His jaw noticeably strained. “What, at Cottonwood Cove?! If they are there then how are we going to save them!?” Spin-Up tightened his grip around his sniper rifle, his head growing much too heavy for his shoulders, he hadn’t even gotten enough time to comprehend the events of the past thirty minutes before they were on the road with enough ammo to take out an entire herd of Nightstalkers.

“It’s now or never, alright?!” She barked over her shoulder, their quarrel was not enough to make her slow down to a walking speed. Pepper had to stay focused, she couldn’t get too involved with her emotions, especially not now, not until everything was done and over with. “There is no one in Camp Searchlight who is stable enough to go on a fucking rescue mission.”

“Yeah, how about you count yourself among them.”

His rebuttal made her heart clench in her chest from frustration, was he really trying to pick a fight with her? Now? Out of all the fucking times they could do this?

She didn’t give herself the opportunity to spout off about how they didn’t have the time to turn on each other when lives were at stake, the familiar downfall of the rocky terrain and sand told them both that they were now at the beaten down camp they had made over a decade ago, overlooking Cottonwood Cove. Jumping down without a warning, she ignored Spin-Up’s sighs of irritation. The tension between them was growing heavy, which wasn’t good for their situation, especially if they were supposed to be a team.

After yesterday, it was hard to look around at the shed, knowing that just a few days ago, Team Omega had made their last venture down here without even knowing it. She couldn’t lie, it tore her apart to see the evidence of their existence. Seeing the ripped flour sacks that they never bothered to replace after a Legion soldier nearly took Grim’s life with a javelin, the traces of ash and cigarette buds from Corporal Aarons’ unhealthy addiction, the empty ammunition casings, the. . .

“Get set up,” Pepper commanded, her tone of voice was unfriendly. Everything was falling apart and Pepper, who was the Sergeant of Team Omega could do nothing but fucking watch. She slammed her rifle on the edge of the barrier and slumped to her knees. Spin-Up didn’t say anything to her. He wasn’t one to blame others for things that were clearly out of their control, but she knew that he couldn’t help but feel angry with her from how distant she was behaving. Still, it was better than losing her control.

Peering through her scope, she instantly saw how much things had changed, more or less the new decorations that were strung up on Legion crosses like they were ornaments on a pre-war Christmas tree. Her eyes passed over every soldier, desperately examining the obscure faces to see if any of them seemed familiar.

Spin-Up had joined her search in the seconds following, and in complete silence, they observed the grounds. Some bodies were being untied from the crucifixes to be taken down, more than likely it was the men who died much quicker than the others who still suffered in the hot sun. 

“That’s Colonel Grant,” her comrade spoke, shifting in his boots from discomfort. “Over by the sign, look.”

Jerking her sniper to the right, she stared over at the vacant parking lot on the higher terrain. Once she saw what Spin was referring to, her back muscles tensed. The old man was nearly unrecognizable, given the amount of blood and wounds that covered his face and military wraps. It was unsurprising that the Legion would try to torture information out of every commission officer they managed to get their hands on. Grant’s sleeves were rolled up to expose his sunburnt and twisted arms, the two of them couldn’t tell if they had been dislocated before or after they had tied him to the cross. 

“Fuck,” was all that Pepper could say. 

They wouldn’t be able to get him down. For all that they knew, he was too close to death to be saved, and removing him from that splintered crucifix would kill him. The Sergeant sucked in her breath before pushing herself to proceed with her search. 

Spin-Up’s mouth strained and he forced himself to speak. “What if Lee is. . .” 

“She wouldn’t be.” Pepper cut him off immediately, the thought of losing their lieutenant on the same day that they lost Aarons would more or less throw her into an uncontrollable craze. Nonetheless, she knew the real reason why Lee Davis wouldn’t be on one of those crosses. “She’s a woman, Spin.” Her words were spat out like venom. 

Spin-Up knew what she meant, and neither of them exactly knew how it made them feel. 

They didn’t speak for the following minute, both of them watching the grounds below while they worked to find the same thing. Pepper couldn’t help but wonder if Spin-Up was right, that Lee was already gone, as well as Celestine and Rowena. This may be one of the few times where the worst case scenario was something she would rather not expect. This outcome needed to be good. They needed to save their lieutenant and her daughters. She didn’t know how it was going to happen, but it had to. Goddammit, it _had_ to. 

Closer to the waterline, Pepper saw a figure. 

“Spin, Spin! Right there! From behind the building!” 

They didn’t know whether or not they should feel a sense of relief or absolute horror. Pepper reached her hand out to enhance the elevation system. “Oh shit, _fuck_.” 

If it would not risk the lives of Rowena, Celestine, and themselves, then Pepper wouldn’t have hesitated in shooting off the head of the legionary escorting her niece to the docks. Looking at the tight hold the man had around Rowena’s wrist made her head spin. It seemed different when it was just the common NCR trooper or a sorry ass tribal family. Pepper never allowed it to settle in that these were people who had existed through their lives and had loved ones waiting for them to come home safe. Looking at Rowena’s confused and frightened face, her inflamed arms and chest, tangled and dirty hair, Pepper realized she was now one of those people who were waiting for someone to come home. 

She'd lost countless amounts of friends in the NCR, even old members of Team Omega before Spin-Up, and Grim joined, but this time it was different. This was her family. 

Celestine came behind her a few seconds after. Tears running down her face and visibly blubbering while a Legion scout grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her forward. Pepper positioned her finger behind the trigger. Her mind scoured for a strategy, she had gone through with impossible rescue missions in the past, usually with the rest of the team, and nothing like this. There was an immediate deadline, there needed to be a thought out plan in less than a minute. 

The Legion was leading them to the docks. This was their only chance. It would be damn near impossible to in any way track down the boats with the both of them on foot, especially if they passed into Arizona. “Pepper,” Spin-Up snapped, “if they’re taking them down the stream, then we need to act now.” 

The Sergeant glanced over at him, instead of responding she merely observed through her scope once more. Her heart was thumping inside of her throat and vibrating through her entire being. Both of the girls looked terrified. Their skin was blanching with fear, their eyes wide, and their chins trembling. Pepper knew what their fate was, she had seen it before in Legion camps. She couldn’t watch them leave, even if they miraculously managed to save them in weeks or months advance, it would be too late.

Pepper didn’t even blink. “Shoot them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... I'm sorry.
> 
> Hopefully! Hopefully the next chapter will come soon, especially with this type of ending. Thank my best friend, my brother... and my mother, for telling me to end it here and have everyone suffer.


	8. The Bonded Chantey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hold me close, don't let go. Watch me burn. " -Bring Me The Horizon, Hospital For Souls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The downfall of our known original characters starts 100% from here on. Things do not get better from here on which is a bit obvious now. This chapter has a lot of graphic detail (or at least I think I wrote it well enough to say that) so if you're sensitive to extreme violence and torture then begone. Everyone else, enjoy!

“Shoot them.”

Spin-Up stared over at her in alarm. Pepper’s fingers were so tight around her rifle that the beds of her nails were wine red. She kept her head straight and her eyes focused on Rowena and Celestine, watching them waver while they moved from the dirt terrain to the wooden docks. They weren’t the only ones being moved to the water either, there must have been nearly a dozen bounded captures in all that were being moved to the docks. Pepper’s expression was unreadable.

“What? Pepper we-”

“Would you rather them become legion wives?” Pepper spat before he could fully voice his protest, her words were sharper than a knife. She looked over her shoulder at him, and in that second he could see how hallow her eyes were, but nothing more. Surely she wouldn't want to see him actively questioning her sanity.

The ammunition clip to his rifle slipped from the barricade, he must have been trembling, given that he couldn’t hold his gun still. “There _has_ to be another way.”

She didn’t answer, this wouldn’t be a matter of debate. They couldn't just go back and forth until the sun went down and the girls were halfway across the waters before she got him to consider what they had to do. They didn’t have the time. “Clip your suppressor on and aim your fucking gun, you got that? That’s an order.”

“Pepper-” 

“You want to save them? Well, this is the only way we can _really_ save them, alright?!” Her voice shook. The girls were already scared enough, the Sergeant could see in their faces that they wanted to go home and have everything go back to the way it was before, even though it never could. As soon as Pepper pulled that trigger, she would never forgive herself and never be able to forget it. Afterward, she might as well turn the gun on herself. “We have to. Lee would. . .”

Beatrice trailed off, would Lee prefer this? Their mother would do _anything_ to protect them, even get herself killed in the ring of fire, but would she go as far as killing them to protect them? It was common knowledge to the team that death was better than life in the Legion, especially for a young girl.

Pepper pulled her gun from the barricade and fastened the muffler on the barrel of her rifle, clicking the safety off, the small noise was enough to let Spin-Up know that he had to follow suit. He hadn’t stopped pleading his case to her, the words barely filling her ears, doing nothing but bouncing against her head.

“Pepper all we need is some time, we need to try for them, okay? We-”

She didn’t want to respond anymore, this argument against him was fruitless. Spin-Up knew deep down that this was the best course of action, but personal feelings were enough to stop him from doing the right thing. Pepper couldn’t do that, she couldn’t let her personal feelings ruin their lives. She couldn’t.

“I’ll. . . I’ll handle Row, you get Celest. Aim for the head, understand? Don’t let them suffer.”

 _Breath. In and out, slowly. Stop your hands from trembling and keep your gun still. If you miss then you might put everyone in danger_ . Inhaling deeply, Pepper held her gun tight, she still remembered overhearing Aarons saying that to Spin-Up nearly twenty years ago, when he had shown enough potential to join Team Omega right after one of their corporal’s had been killed. Why she had to think of it _now_ , especially when they weren’t shooting anything close to red targets, she didn’t know.

They were going to shove them onto one of the rafts any minute now, she didn’t have the time to take Aarons’ twenty-year-old advice. “On three.”

Pepper could hear his heavy and uneven breathing alongside her, whispering words under his breath. Probably pleads to himself, begging the god she didn’t know he believed in to give them another course of action that wasn’t so permanent.

Her countdown was slow, giving her the second she needed to look at the girls. They had no idea, no fucking idea that they were aiming their weapons at them, no idea that they were going to die in only a few seconds. Pepper worried about a lot of things happening to them, but never this, she never thought it would be her and Spin being the ones to end their lives.

When the third number passed her lips, Pepper didn’t even feel she was the one pulling the trigger, instead being the ghost of her higher self who insisted this was the right thing to do while she stood there gaping in silence. The trigger didn’t give, interrupting her thoughts was a loud snap coming from beside her as Spin-Up’s rifle successfully went off.

“I can’t-” jerking his gun to the side at the last minute, the stock smacked against her shoulder and his bullet went flying over the rocks.

Her heart hammered in her chest, shock prickling in her arms and legs, Pepper retracted her gun to check the chamber. She clenched her jaw, noticing her second bullet somehow crawled its way out of her ammo clip to jam the first shell from coming out. “Fuck.” She spat, “shit, fuck! ”

Pulling her rifle up, she stared through the scope and saw the girls were still moving, both of them. Her breathing was uneven, only seconds ago she was absolutely sure they just killed the two of them.

Pepper turned to Spin-Up, her eyes burning with fury. “Why did you move your gun?!” She seethed, her voice hoarse. He was becoming a bit of a blur in her eyes, but she saw his mouth was hanging open and his eyes wide. Spin moved his gun from the flour sacks. “They’re getting on those boats and are going to-!”

Pepper couldn’t see, her sight was growing more blurred by the second. Feeling like she had just swallowed a golf ball, “this piece of s-shit!” She shouted, unclasping her ammunition clip to hurtle it as far away as her arm would allow, it soared over the rocks to land somewhere on the terrain with a faint thud.

Pepper realized she was on the verge of crying, trying to blink it all away, but it was no use. “I’m sorry.” Spin-Up whispered, his voice wavering, “I c-couldn’t, with Aarons already g-”

She sputtered, tossing her rifle onto the shack floors in anger, reaching out to pull the rifle from his hands.

“Pepper n-”

“Give it to me you son of a bit-”

It started a full-on brawl, shoving, pulling, and clawing. Spin-Up held onto his gun for dear life with the both of them holding back emotion inside their chests. Pepper’s hair came undone in the struggle to block her eyes and the string to Spin-Up’s dog tag broke. Someone was bound to be bruised, especially with both of them pulling on the rifle like this was a game of tug-of-war.

“I can’t watch them die!” He protested, his expression filled with anguish while trying to keep himself from shouting in her face. His hands slipped from the stock and Pepper fell back with it, but she didn’t move.

They both sat in the sand in silence for a few seconds catching their breath.

“And I can’t let them live through that.” She answered, trying to keep herself from heaving, “I just can’t, alright?”

Pepper wasn’t aware of when she started to break, maybe it started with her physical outburst on Spin-Up or the growing knot in her throat, but she felt the tears slip from the inner creases of her eyes, when she tried to swat them away, they spilled through on both corners. Maybe it was all just starting to settle in, this was what they had to live with now. Aarons was dead, Grim had severe mental trauma, Lee was missing, and her daughters' lives were currently in their hands, but Pepper wasn’t sure if she would be able to pull the trigger a second time.

It was different back before they went to Arizona, losing team members. People would come in and replace the ones who died and Pepper would guess when they’d die long before she learned their names, but Aarons changed that, and now she had to watch him go too. Watch him die and never come back. Not only him but the rest of their family.

Pepper cried ugly, wiping snot on the back of her sleeve with her eyes beginning to sting from the loss of water. Spin-Up moved in closer, for a second she thought he was doing so to grab the rifle from her hands when he had the chance, but he didn’t. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug, one he needed just as much as her.

She didn’t hug him back. Her chin rested below the crook of his neck, and she should feel his chest spasming while he tried to keep himself from falling apart.

She couldn’t even speak right, “our family-” she blubbered. “It’s ruined.”

Spin-Up didn’t protest, because she was right. Even if Lee was alive, or if they got the girls back, Aarons was still dead, and Grim was still out of their hands. “We can’t shoot them.” He replied, ignoring the tears running down his own face. “We have to set up a plan, a rescue mission.”

“No, we can’t.”

“Why not?”

She sniffled, something that was heartbreaking and disgusting all at once. When she moved back he saw how swollen her eyes were, her face slick with tears. “It’s a suicide mission,” she said, her voice less tense than it had been before she lost herself, now it was empty and hopeless. “It would never work.”

Spin up stretched his legs to get to his knees and peer over the sacks, he swiped away the tears on his face and look at the docks, but with the naked eye, it was nothing but specks in the distance. With a dejected groan, he let himself fall back onto the dusty floorboards.

 

* * *

 

The hand closest to her neck was starting to get clammy from the heat, Rowena tried to keep herself from trembling while being forced to stand still. Her sister was just out of her sight somewhere behind her, and trying to turn her head to find her only resulted in it being pushed forward.

The smell of the river helped to thin the air around them, moss grew over the molding wood to where the bottoms of her slippers nearly slid underneath it. The water level must have been a bit higher than usual since the river licked at the edge of the docks and splashed over the top. A Legionary with metal spikes coming out of his shoulder pads yelled something in Latin that was curt, sounding close to a command. A Legionary explorer further out nodded and began to untie the rafts. The wood bumped against the harbor and the whole length of it wobbled.

“Move.” The man didn’t wait for her to comply before he shoved her towards the boat, Rowena tried to keep herself from falling, keeping her head down to watch where she stepped. “The boat on the left,” He ordered. She clenched her jaw but didn’t dare go against an order.

It was times like these that Rowena wished there had been more in the school books about the Latin language, not just rubbish quotes that were taken out of context from written documents hundreds of years old. These men spoke so fast that it made her head spin, everything just sounded like one word to her.

They were loading heavy boxes on board of the raft, but no more than three before Spike Shoulders shouted for them to stop.

“Get your hands off of me!” Someone shouted behind her, Rowena resisted the urge to look over her shoulder to see who it was. The sounds of struggling began prior to a man in NCR wraps falling to the floorboards a foot from her ankles. She tried to step to the side to keep out of harm’s way but the Legionary tightened his hold on the small of her neck. A member of the legion marched up to hold the soldier down.

Out of the corner of her eye, it looked like they were going to tie his hands behind his back, “ _Emeritus!_ We’ve got a live one.”

That must have meant something to the man. “Good, we were needing an example.” Spiked Shoulders wandered over from his position out on the docks, his hand moved to his shoulder and grab the handle of a fire ax that was clasped to his back. It must have been recently used, given that there was still traces of blood along the blade. She felt the hand on her neck forcing her to turn her head in order to look.

The NCR soldier struggled, “you motherf-” he tried moving his head up to curse out the Legionary, but his nose was shoved hard between the wooden boards. He grunted in pain. Spiked Shoulders let the ax hang low to swing at his side, he looked over all their faces. “I will demonstrate to you profligates what will happen if you act out.” He said, the look he held gave Rowena the impression that this was an everyday occurrence for him, without further ado, he adjusted the ax in his hands and lifted it above his head.

Rowena’s eyes widened, they were going to kill him, right here in front of all these people for doing nothing but speaking out. She tried to cower and turn away but the legionary escorting her made sure to hold her still. The ax came down hard, and it wasn’t even a clean cut, it must have been excruciating, beyond anything she could ever imagine. The blade dug into his shoulder and he screamed in agony, a sound that she would hear even in her deepest dreams. The legionary placed his boot on the back of the man’s head and ripped the blade from his muscle.

She closed her eyes when the weapon came down once more. Rowena understood completely. If she spoke out of tone when told not to then there would be consequences so horrible she couldn’t even imagine. She understood and so did everyone else, so they could stop now, they could stop now, _they could stop-_

She listened to the chopping until the screaming was nothing but choked gurgles followed by painful silence. Soon the impact sounded equivalent to smacking a fire ax against a wet sponge, she regret opening her eyes because Rowena knew if she threw up then she might be punished. She was glad to have tears blur her vision, turning the mutilated corpse into red patches.

After an agonizing silence, he asked, “does anyone have anything to say?”

No one dared to respond, all you could hear was the water splashing against the beams. “Good.” He smiled, in a way he shouldn’t be able to. Rowena knew a man like him could never sleep at night without lacking a soul and mind. She and her sister were in hell, that was the only way she could describe it.

They continued as if nothing happened, the captures were only told to evade the blood and gore. Be careful to not step in it, like that wasn’t an innocent man they bludgeoned to death for using his mouth. Rowena walked slowly, any faster and her knees would buckle. She almost forgot her little sister was somewhere behind her, there were so many things she wanted to tell her: she loved her, she would never forget her, she was so much more than what the Legion would say she was, but none of it left her mouth. Rowena was too scared of what may happen if she did.

“You.” Said Spiked Shoulders, Rowena took a moment to realize he was talking to her. With her head snapping up to address him, she felt her gut turn to stone. He beckoned her past and ordered her onto the raft. The Legionary who still held her by her neck moved with her.

Walking past, when she got to the edge of the docks, she hesitated. Rowena watched the raft rock on the relatively still waters, it made her wonder if she would be able to make the leap. Rowena didn’t realize how much the hand on her neck was helping her stand until it was gone. Everything was spinning. _Just don’t throw up,_ she told herself over and over until her head didn’t feel like a water bucket.  She slowly stepped on, her heart running cold when the raft settled with the distribution of her weight and boxes.

Another person was ordered onto the boat, an NCR soldier with smashed eyeglasses clinging to his face. He looked familiar, maybe he was in the cage with her during the first hours of captivation. He didn’t say anything, and when he caught sight of her all he did was let go of a dour frown.

The next to be put on the boat was a poor woman in wasteland rags and red eyes, she was shoved rather brutally on board, given that she was more reluctant than Rowena had been. “Jump overboard and you’ll have a worse death than drowning, I’ll tell you all that.” Spiked Shoulders threatened, spitting the words in their direction.

Rowena meant to lower her head, but she caught sight of who was next. Celestine was shaking so much she looked and sounded like a rusty generator, her lips sheer with spit and her eyes swollen with tears. They stared directly at each other, trying to file into their heads each and every feature of the other’s face, just in case anything went wrong from here on. A twinge of hope sparked in her tummy, maybe they would be put on this boat together. It didn’t matter if it was only temporary, she just needed some more time to ready herself for their separation. Row wasn’t ready, _not now._

“That’s all for this boat. The rest go to Arizona.”

It was inevitable and she knew that, but hearing the words in the present time made it feel more real. Face falling, she morphed with terror, beyond anything it was before. Rowena knew she should be more focused on this perhaps being the last time she ever saw her little sister, but instead, she begged the souls above that Celest wouldn’t scream, or plead with the man to let her go with. Maybe it was selfish to say that she didn’t want Celestine to die in front of her, especially with that soldier’s corpse so new it was too fresh for the vultures.

Rowena couldn’t cry. Not now, it would only fuel her sister’s fear. What could she do this very minute that would make everything better? She was in a cageless prison floating on water not even four feet from her sister and they could do nothing but stare at each other.

 _I love you._ Rowena mouthed, the motion sent tears to her eyes, realizing she had never told her that before. _I love you so much._

Celestine’s face reddened and she let go of a deep breath, she didn’t need to reply.

A faceless Legionary standing by Spiked Shoulders moved onto the raft with a bit of a bounce to his step. He had a Marksman Carbine in his hands meaning he was ready to shoot anyone who looked at him funny. The Legion didn’t bother to chain their hands and feet this time, was jumping into the waters that big of a mistake? Or did it not matter how many of them made it to shore?

Rowena had lived with her parents and Team Omega for her entire life, they had gone over the rules of what to do when a Legion raid was to occur, but never if anything would go wrong. She couldn’t help but ask herself: what would momma do? She would save everyone before herself if she could help it, but Rowena wasn’t like mom, meaning she couldn’t go against a dozen Legion soldiers and have a chance at survival.

“Alright, set out.”

“Right away _Emeritus, Vale_."

A legionary standing idly by the harbor edge grabbed a large wooden paddle from an open barrel before jumping on board. Liars, they could fit more people on, especially a one hundred pound girl. Celestine's eyes darted to the raft and back to her sister. Rowena shook her head, understanding her baby sister was willing to risk her life by running to her or jumping in the river.

Spiked Shoulders stepped forward and gave the raft a starting kick.

Rowena grabbed the closest thing to her in order to keep steady, which happened to be the NCR soldier. They didn’t even wait until the first raft was fully out into the open water before beginning to set up the next one. Celest was still standing there, even from the distance Rowena could see her anguish, her face contorting with incoming tears. She was smashing her hands against her chest in an attempt to stop her heart from folding in.

 _I love you!_ She wanted to scream, even though it meant nothing when they were trapped in the jaws of wolves. _I’ll find you again one day, I promise! I promise that this isn’t the end. . ._

 

 _*_ * *

 

The cliffs above blocked most of the sun from beating down on their backs, but the ride was rough despite the still waters. The smell of the sea made Rowena’s stomach feel like a bottle of water filled to the cap, her head was swimming with the raft by the time the sun had gone down. It was difficult to stand on her feet. The hole in the bottom of her slipper had grown to the size of a gourd seed, exposing half of her heel, by hour two the skin was rubbed raw by the raft. Rowena’s knees were two bolts fastened too tight, joined with her calves that were aching from the continuous standing.

“Can I please sit down?” She whispered, so soft that the gentle waves of the river almost washed them away. Her throat closed up with a mixture of thirst and emotion. Hopefully, seasickness and sore feet was enough of a distraction for her mind. She wouldn’t want to think of the last memories she would have of her family.

The Legionary continued to peacefully stroke the paddle through the waters, unbothered, his eyes trained on the river, his other hand never stopped white-knuckling his carbine. Rowena thought he didn’t hear her. “Sir plea-”

“Shut your mouth, profligate whore.”

Her tongue folded, with her lips sewing themselves shut, Rowena felt shame heating up the sides of her face. Never was she used to hearing such dirty words, other than a few of Team Omega’s (specifically Grim’s) accidental slip-ups, and nothing ever used to address her. If she continued to beg then soon she would see that gun pointed at her and threatening to shoot. She decided it was better to suffer in silence, Rowena shifted her legs, trying to find a smoother footing for her aching feet, but everything felt the same the longer she stood.

The sky was a dark blue by the time the rocks curved deeper than its occasional turn. The flake of moon over the rocks was completely hidden after three minutes of coasting east. The river was much longer than what Rowena first expected, or maybe it was the pain in her legs slowing her perspective of time.

The tension in her knees had them wobbling by the time the river broadened into the horizon, they would be burning by morning with small angry strips of missing flesh on her heel. To cope, Rowena envisioned herself plopping down on the side of the boat to dip her aching legs into the cool water, the heat and rawness of her skin washing away with the stream, just for a minute.

As they got closer to the shoreline, Rowena saw what she once thought was part of the river bank was actually a large gate build into the rocks that closed off an incline that led up the hill. The large doors were open with slaves ushering back and forth carrying pounds of supplies and minerals in their arms. They were moving them off docked rafts and boats with brute-looking Legionaries supervising them. It didn’t take brilliance for them to know that this was their stop.

In another world, one more kind than this one, the boat would continue on by to give her another minute of preparation. Maybe she did prefer the strain in her legs and burning in her feet over their stop. God above only knew what awaited her beyond this point. Rowena was never one to enjoy the element of surprise, at least on this boat she still had the privilege of boredom.

Rowena had never been out this far from Camp Searchlight before, with an incompetent frame of mind, she gaped at the sights. They had curved around the cliffs so she could no longer see the inside of the ravine, but Cottonwood Cove was two hours or so behind them. The land masses ahead of them were just grey lines in the distance. How far away could Celestine be? She remembered hearing the Legionary say that the rest of them would go to Arizona, and the river was only two ways. Going left would guide them to the dam, so maybe, just maybe, Rowena would see another raft submerge, one that Celestine would be on.

The dam. . . She hadn’t given herself enough time in the middle of all this confusion to think of her father. Her insides went cold, was he home yet? Did he found out what happened?

Once the boat was close enough to the shore, it settled in the harbor. The stop was unsteady and the side of the raft smacked hard against the dock which had her accidentally elbowing the NCR soldier standing beside her. She ushered out a quiet apology, but it reminded Rowena that she was never the only one on this boat. These folk were being introduced to a new life too, she wasn’t the only one who was scared.

 _“Ave_.” A man in a garden hat greeted, the same way you would say howdy. Rowena wouldn’t have thought him to be legion if he didn’t wear just a bit of their attire. A set of goggles hung around his neck, he must have recently taken them off considering the red ring around his eyebrows and cheekbones. “These building supplies or cater?”

“ _Minerale._ ” The Legionary responded, throwing out the joining rope for the man to tie to the wooden beams, he did so without question. The Legionary moved off of the boat and pulled down his face mask. “And _servi_ from Searchlight, except for that bitch.” He pointed to the poor woman still on board the raft, she was so quiet Rowena couldn’t even hear her breathing.

The man in the garden hat reached in one of his pockets and pulled out a small canteen of tobacco and stuffed a small chunk of it between his teeth and lip. His Latin sounded southern when he spoke but he must have held some weight around here, the Legionary nodded and stared at them on the raft.

Wrong, he was staring at her. “Women, off the boat.”

It would be daft to go against an order, especially now that she was far out on the river. She stared deeply at the small gap between the harbor and the water, enough that she would be able to stick her head through but nothing more. With trembling legs, she stepped up and over, they beckoned the second woman to hurry, her body shook like a backwards bobblehead. With them gone, it left the soldier alone with the supplies.

Maybe they were going to break him. Uncle Aarons said one time that when the Legion turned you into a slave it was best to carry your soundest look of terror, which wasn’t hard for Rowena. Because if you even _looked_ like you had an attitude, they’d work it out of you. Treat you like pack brahmin with accessible hands. “You, pick these boxes up. Now!”

There were hands of slaves already doing their own labor, but not enough that it would be fair to make one man unload an entire raft by himself. Rowena kept her head down. The Legionary nodded while passing, a grin on his lips before he nudged the muzzle of his gun against Rowena’s bicep. “Keep walking, you hear me? You stop when _I_ tell you to.”

She almost opened her mouth to ask where they were. Burying her thoughts in his command, she tried to be mindless if only for the walk up the incline. The sand underneath her feet felt like tiny firecrackers with every step, having a constant frown etched onto her face as she walked forward. Even with the sun down, the place was still very awake, dozens of slaves were hauling things up and down the hill, large cement and clay bricks, wooden or stone pillars tied to their backs so heavy that they moaned in pain with every step, there were even a few women here and there. One’s face had a large burn mark on their forehead, three letters: **F U R**

Her lungs felt too small for her body. She had to look away.

The further they walked, the more legionaries they saw instead of slaves. Along the way, the path would break and bleed off into a section of this place filled with large tents three heads away from each other. She saw the glow of oil lanterns through the materials, muffled screams and sobbing could be heard, but there was no telling whether it was coming from behind her or the tents.

The further they walked, the more sights were seen, there was a wide coral tent set up holding inside weapons of all shapes and sizes, ones that ranged from melee to ranged attacks. A man with a skin-tight mask was roasting a poker in a brazier with a man screaming in terror. Two Legionaries held the fool still as the branding beam roasted in the flames, he continued to bellow, wide eyes watching the metal grow red with bating heat. Rowena could feel the warmth from here, she hardly realized that they stopped. The realization sent sparks through her stomach like a broken stove top.

Once the irons were as red as her soles, The Brander pulled them from the coals. They held the slave tight and then cooked the skin of his forehead. The hair close to the heat smoked away with his flesh, bubbling his skin and he sang in place of the birds, a terrible, terrible song that had her heart skipping a beat. He yelled when they pulled back, a slab of red and raw skin in the shape of a bull with fray at the end of its tail.

Rowena gaped with horror, they shoved him to the sand just as they too were shoved forward.

Her own thoughts became white noise with her eyes and mouth forming three O’s. The Brander tossed the branding tool into the air just to catch it again, the redness had dulled so he shoved it back into the brazier. “Get some gauze.” He said to one of the slaves standing idly by only watching their demise, the slave nodded and ran off to fulfill his task.

The Brander turned his head, his eyes visible through his vizard and he looked at them. Saying something in Latin to the Legionary behind them who replied shortly. The Brander pointed at the quiet woman alongside Rowena. “Her. She’s next.”

The Legionary shoved the lady forward. The first sound she made was a cry of dismay, moving to feebly grab the man’s arm but it got her nowhere. The brander looked to his left and nodded to the Legionaries by the freshly-branded slave who moaned in pain. Rowena wanted to raise her hands and cup her ears to drown out the screaming but she resisted the urge, not knowing what would happen to her if she did. The woman was dragged close to the brazier, her hands were held behind her back and she was forced to her knees. The Brander turned the tool cooking in the coals. If he had a watch Rowena was sure he would’ve checked it.

“Where are my children?!” She screamed, tears running down her cheeks with snot clotting in her nostrils. Rowena wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and dream while standing, pretend she was back on the other side of the river holding a hunting rifle with uncle Grim telling her to shoot a hay dummy.

 _“Ubi?”_ The brander asked, pulling the tool from the glowing fire. He was probably smiling under that mask, it would be a better fate for that metal to be turned on him for his lips to be melted shut.

 _“Collum,”_ answered the man holding Rowena still. Her legs felt like frail beanstalk, the brander’s laugh was muffled by his mask and he nodded. One of the Legionaries holding the once silent woman grabbed her by her hair and pulled her head back to see the stars.

There was no mercy, much like the slave before her. He jabbed the brand below her jaw, she had a second to react before a long yawl crawled from her mouth. Her face grew red and her skin sizzled like a fresh brahmin steak on a grill. The area grew ripe with the smell of burnt hair and human flesh, a smell Rowena didn’t think she would ever forget.

And like a continuous cycle, the branding tool was placed back with the coals and the woman tore herself from their hands to throw up. Rowena was next. She knew it.

Being just a kid, maybe they would take some sort of pity on her, the poor girl was shaking so hard her legs were less steady than a checkers board balancing on a tablespoon. The Brander motioned her forward.

This would be the first time she refused to obey an order. The two legionaries went to grab her but the first attempt proved to be a failure, Rowena fell to her knees and stuck herself right in the sand, shaking her head violently, they grabbed ahold of her shoulders and pulled her up despite her resistance. Her knees remained bent while they hauled her forward. The heat of the fire grew more intense, closer up she could hear the sounds of the fire popping and crackling.

Somewhere on her skin would be changed forever against her will, with her being the one who had to live with the pain and healing. Her legs dropped to drag on the ground in hopes that it would add some defiance, though it only caused her more pain. Rowena wondered if she put up a fight then maybe they would give up.

Instead, they held her down.

“Don’t!” She cried, those being the first words she spoke since being aboard the boat. It was what they wanted, a show. To see people like her screaming in pain while their skin was permanently sketched into. She wasn’t a letter, and she wasn’t a notebook. They couldn’t do this to her.

“She’s nice to look at, avoid the face and neck.”

Her eyes blinked against the sand while they clouded with dust particles and tears, sweat dripped down from her widow’s peak. _Momma,_ she thought, sounding close to a prayer. _They’re going to kill me._

Her arm was grabbed, twisted and stretched to wave at the sky. Her heart was a fast drum, an anticipating song so loud it poured into her ears. She heaved so fast and strong that the sand in front of her created its own little storm. Her breath somewhere west with her mother and sister.  The tools clanged against the brazier and the heat that radiated off the metal closed in on her.

The burn was worth a thousand sins.

Every galaxy exploded before her eyelids and everything went white. The fire on her arm burned on, dripping down her wrist. The angry bull imprinted itself into her skin, destined to stay.

Rowena couldn’t remember screaming, the branding tool may have been pulled away but the fire continued to scorch her flesh until the battle between the bull and her skin was decided. The smell of her own flesh made acidic bile rise in her throat, she forced it down, but her mouth never closed.

* * *

The slave brought gauze to wrap the three of them up before forcing them on their feet. The bandage proved worse than the metal tool, holding the fire on her wrist to protect it from bacteria, not to sooth the pain, only making things worse for her. Rowena couldn't believe she had to get up and continue living after this. She was a cloud close to the ground, unable to hold herself up. _Don’t throw up,_ she had to remind her herself. Over and over again. _Don’t throw up._

Ears ringing, mouth full of silent screams with words mom would wash out with soap. The night air was a room temperature stew. In shock, she was forced onward. Slippers tight around her burning and swelling feet like the gauze around the burn.

Rowena was sure her knees were going to crumble like stale bread, “here we are,” the Legionary spoke without a care. After passing four sections they stopped, it felt like hours of hiking. Rowena’s heat-stained eyes focused onward with her world spinning. There was an overhead stable for animals with an older woman with stringy grey and blonde hair standing under it. She was feeding her leftovers to one of the heads of a brahmin, her hands were bruised and shaking. There was also a small handful of personal tents accompanied by half a dozen bedrolls in the sand. The place was empty except for a few rotten folks.

“You wake up early and you do what we tell you.”

Rowena swallowed, and when his hand abandoned her shoulder, she was left to carry her own weight. There was no way she could hurry forward, she took one step. A nasty knot inside of her chest was starting to coil tighter. Rowena wondered, maybe somewhere on the other side of the river mother was asking the same thing that woman had: _where are my children?_

The lady feeding the brahmin head didn’t budge at their arrival. Rowena was the only one who managed to stay on her feet, but it was like she was walking on coals. She tried to keep her eyes forward. _One step, followed by another, and another-_

The lady continued to feed the animal with nothing more than a frown on her lips. Rowena glanced over her shoulder once more, the Legionary grabbed the quiet woman by her hair after she collapsed on her knees then pulled her upright. He forced her to walk with him away from where he had taken them.

“What’s going to happen to her?” Rowena asked weakly once they were out of sight, turning to look at the brahmin, it slurped at the misshapen chunks on the plate. The lady looked over, she must’ve been in her early forties, her nose was crooked along with her cupid’s bow having a healing bruise and cut on it.

“Best not to think about it.” She replied, her bird lady face did not match her voice, a low and raspy tone. “Are you hungry? You get one chance, otherwise, you won’t eat ‘til noon.”

Well, how many hours away would that be? Rowena felt her stomach roll with a word of denial forming on her tongue. With the continuous burning from the tips of her toes to her fingers, they smell of burning flesh was still looming over her senses. It felt like if she tried to eat anything she’d end up throwing it all up. Rowena didn’t want food, she wanted answers; starting with where she was, how long this pain would last, who she was thought to be, and how long she would be here. But Rowena hadn’t had a decent meal in days, nothing more than stale bread and water whenever the slavemaster felt generous.

The lady didn’t give her a chance, moving the plate from her hands and shoving it off to her. Nearly dropping it, Rowena forced her hand forward to grab it. With their movements, she saw the same brand marked over the tendons of the lady’s right hand. Her nerves melted by the brand leaving her fingers permanently stiff.

“Give Bushra what you don’t eat.” She said, disregarding her glassed eyes. Bushra must have been the animal, “please excuse me.”

She had so many questions, but she held her tongue. Looking down at the food, _gross_ was the first thing she thought. Rowena wasn’t sure what it was she was looking at. Mole rat chunks, dog meat, undercooked mashed potatoes, whatever it was, it was covered in brahmin saliva. She looked up and walked to the first bedroll she spotted, walking any longer would have blood rushing from her head to make her pass out and fall into the sand. She settled on an open-spaced matt, one closest to the tent that someone was already sleeping in.

She fell so hard onto her knees that they cracked, her thigh muscles released and the wave of relief that ran over her was better than a full night’s rest. She straightened her feet out in front of her and leaned her back against the tent material. Bushra mooed at her from the stables, one of the heads staring right at her and the food she was just eating. Rowena took one of the chunks and put it in her mouth, chewing quickly and trying not to let it touch her tongue. The consistency was foul, a soggy cotton ball or a warm washcloth. Her throat closed up and she felt a gag coming up.

She swallowed, shuddering, and then went for more.

By the time she finished, her stomach felt full of tennis balls from the little chewing and excessive swallowing. Her lips were dry from the air and saltiness of the food. Rowena tossed the plate out in front of her on the sand and slowly rolled over on her side, her backside facing the gaze and her eyes facing the tent.

With the sounds of the nameless place echoing to meet her ears, Rowena cried. Her hand cradling her burning arm against her chest, her legs were two stones weighing her down to the earth below. Mother’s voice ripe in her ears, her final words of love haunted her until she faded off into sleep. She dreamt nothing but fire and burns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave kudos and a comment to let me know what you think! I always appreciate the feedback, good or bad. Lucius will show up in the chapters to come.


	9. The Phony War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tell our dad I’m sorry.” - Twenty One Pilots, Ruby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long time coming, I'm not dead! And I've been heavily editing the third part to this series! I also changed the titles, hate them? Love them? Thanks!
> 
> This chapter includes physical abuse, degrading content, sexual violence, and a very unhappy father. Enjoy!

**Monday, May 20th, 2273**

 

The only thing worse than the coffee was the state of Team Omega’s residence. The bedroom door gained a hole the size of a fist, the wooden splinters punched through to the hollow inside. The beds remained cold and unmade, staying the same since the first week of May, papers, and maps of plans were sprawled out on the floor and dining table. A new coffee stain seeped into the carpet by the front door. Some shards of Ceramic still waiting to be picked up.

The only thing clean was the kitchen because they needed somewhere to cook.

Leaning against the frame of the bathroom door, Pepper crossed her arms. Her skin tinged grey and the bags under her eyes grew deeper by the hour. She hadn’t smiled since last Sunday. They never spoke to anyone about seeing the girls at Cottonwood Cove. Not to the captain, not to each other.

Spin-Up sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the couch with his back to the broken television. Grim sat quietly on the couch, something he’d been doing since he came home. He could walk, eat, drink, piss, shit, whatever, but he wouldn’t talk. He could use sign language, they knew enough to get by.

The nurse called it a case of selectively mute. Pepper didn’t even need to restrain herself when they told her. Of course he was. Why wouldn’t he be?

Reruns of Shady Sands News played on the radio and no one could bring themselves to change the station. Way Back Home scratched against the speakers, it reminded Beatrice of California.

Grim stared down at the carpet with his face showing as much emotion as a glass doll. Spin-Up chatted on and on; he was speaking to himself and Pepper wished he could see that.

She moved from the door and to the kitchen, staring at the plain colors and the spotless countertops with a floor so clean you could lick it. Pepper opened the refrigerator and grabbed one of the beers stuffed inside.

“ _You’ve done your part in all of this._ ” Captain Reine said, sometime around the 8th with commiseration as organic as plastic. The insensitive cuntbag didn’t have the right to comfort her. He only remained in charge due to the NCR taking their sweet time finding a replacement for Colonel Grant.

Reine was the one to tell Grant’s wife and daughters that he was “lost in battle”. It was nothing more than a kind way of saying that the Legion put his old ass on a cross. _“We’re going to give you some personal days, give you some time to catch up on sleep. You need to mourn.”_

Mourn. Pepper _hated_ that word. Hated it more than death.

“It was the coldest I’d ever been. One time it snowed so much that we had to take shelter in this giant building. There were so many levels that we could prop our snipers up and look at the grounds without being seen. The cars looked a lot smaller from there. I wanted to go up higher, but. . . but Lee wouldn’t let us. She said it was too dangerous since the floors were pre-war.”

Spin-Up kept going and going. Pepper sat down around her mess of papers, failed and fatuous plans that would never work. They didn’t even know where Lee and the girls were.

“And we-”

“He’s not responding to you. What’s the point in talking to him?”

Spin-Up’s story of their incredible venture through Flagstaff died on his lips. His chatter stopped and he turned to stare at her, she took a swig from her beer and set it down. For a second all they heard was the last verses of the song.

“Talking to him might help boost his communication skills, that’s what the doctor said.” The spite in her tone hadn’t done much to dull his hope. “She said he won’t stay this way.”

Pepper went quiet, tapping her fingers on the beer glass. She stared at the papers covering the table, skimming over her handwriting from late nights where she got a spur of inspiration to fix together a brilliant hero’s plan. They were always terrible in the morning.

“It’s been two fucking weeks,” she spat, “he’s not speaking anytime soon.”

“He can still hear us, he’s not dead.”

The term: dead, still made her heart convulse and her hands clench. She felt like she was going to break her beer glass. Pepper couldn’t look at them. She hated seeing Spin-Up like this, talking to Grim exactly how he spoke to Rowena when she was six. They should be bickering, not sitting here trying to fix each other. None of them were supposed to break, that wasn’t what they did, it wasn’t what they were known for.

The girls were supposed to grow up with their family. It wasn’t fucking fair, and Pepper hated saying that because she knew life wasn’t a continuous lottery winning.

What happened to her? People dying _never_ meant anything to Pepper. Lives get torn apart all the time and leave the shell of humans filled with rage and dismay. She wanted to be the mindless soldier, serve her time and use her military papers to her advantage. She never wanted to care about any of them.

_Isaac Aarons, if you can hear me, fuck you. Fuck you for being my family. Fuck you for caring about me, and fuck you for dying without me._

Interference enunciated from the radio strapped to her belt. Pepper didn’t even know why she kept it on anymore, maybe she hoped to hear Aarons or Lee on the other side one of these days. “Sergeant Pepper, you read? This is Private Edwards.”

With their conversation lost, Spin-Up turned back to Grim, his mouth opening in a silent sigh. She unpinned it and pressed the PTT. “Yeah, what do you want?”

The machine remained quiet for the following, Beatrice set it down on one of her folders to flatten the curled page. “You need to come down to the bridge. The towers just reported sights of NCR trucks coming our way. It might be extra troops.”

“Ah Shit,” Pepper rubbed the stress from her eyes and exhaled. With that report, Spin-Up straightened his back to get up from the floor. She pressed the PTT, “let me deal with this. Keep Captain Reine away from them or I’ll wring that short-term’s neck. Over.”

The song ended, the room grew quiet, and their breath caught. Grim’s body grew still, resembling a pre-war mannequin. They all knew what this meant. The sergeant moved to get up from the dining table and clipped the radio back to her belt. Spin-Up walked around the couch to stop her. “I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not,” Pepper retaliated, she hoped the command sounded as strong as she intended it to. “Stay with Grim, it’s better if I tell him.” She walked towards the door, leaving behind her beer.

“You just want him to blame you instead of the whole Team.”

Grabbing the doorknob, she almost turned around to look at him. He was right, but it didn’t change the fact that it was better for her to be the one to tell Vance. If Pepper hadn’t left Grim to go check the airport for Lee, then Aarons would likely still be alive and the girls would be safe. They would’ve been able to find their Lieutenant together, and none of this would have gone as horrid as it did.

Pepper didn’t respond. She opened the front door and closed it behind her.  

* * *

 

Stepping out, she could see troops on the lower ground already moving down the road to spread out around Camp Searchlight. A ball twisted itself in Beatrice’s gut. She never was one to scare easily, which was one of the reasons why she worked so well in the NCR, especially with Team Omega’s venture into Arizona.

But this wasn’t something she could stare down in the eyes without feeling anything. Vance was her family. She hated giving out bad news. Aarons was always the best with that, but he wasn’t here now to make it easy.

Pepper found comfort in clenching the dog tag around her throat. Marching down the hill and settling on the uneven road, she saw the camouflaged backs of the military trucks, wonky Pre-War technology where you could hear the clanking in the motor. Two large trucks were parked right underneath the split bridge. Beatrice took a deep breath and her lungs rattled.

Master Sergeant Vance and a Commissioned Officer were ordering them out, possibly more than eighteen men. She couldn’t believe the General had so many soldiers on standby when they struggled to occupy fifty before the attack. He pointed down the road, pulling down his troopers mask to take a breath of fresh air and fixing his cowboy hat. The commissioned Officer nodded and walked around the truck to leave him to his own devices. When Vance turned, he saw her.

He must’ve known something was wrong just by the look on her face.

Out of all the people to see first, Pepper being the one to greet him should’ve risen a few red flags. He moved towards her without hesitation, which was fine with her, her legs were stiffer than cement and she couldn’t bring herself to move far enough to see the church. Vance studied her face for a moment. “You look terrible,” he said once close enough. She didn’t respond. “I pulled some strings. It didn’t take much since Team Omega doesn’t ask many favors. There are enough soldiers to hold out any attack, also a new shipment of assault rifles and medical supplies.”

“Vance.”

“What?” He looked up, breathing hard from his fast-talking, or excitement. He squinted from the sun. “I had to ask for more ammunition. Lee would’ve lost her shit if NCR ordered guns with no ammo.”

Her lips twitched and her jaw tightened at the lieutenant’s name. This was going to be harder than she thought. Her throat started to close up while her conscience kicked in, how did Aarons do this every time it was needed? Surely there’s a difference now, this wasn’t a mother waiting for her child to come home when they’re face down in a pool of their blood somewhere. This was her family, his wife and kids, their friends.

Beatrice couldn’t look at him when she said, “it already happened.” She wiped her running nose, wishing she drank more than a few sips of beer, maybe a bottle or two so she’d be too drunk to cry. “The Legion attacked a couple of weeks ago. We radioed the Dam, but the signal was too weak.”

It all sounded broken, but she didn’t have the right to start losing her head in front of him. Looking up, she saw that he wasn’t grinning anymore. “You’re kidding.” His hand went to rub between his brows. “Fuck. . . What’s the kill count?” His voice was dour.

“Twenty-six counting colonel Grant. From what we know, more than a dozen are missing, including citizens.” Her hands found her radio’s antenna, she picked at the metal ball. “We would all be dead if it wasn’t for Aarons. He. . .” She paused, the air in her throat choked her and she couldn’t go on. Vance already knew. His jaw softened while she caught her breath. “He’s gone. He killed himself and a handful of legionaries in the church. Grim must’ve seen something because he hasn’t talked since.”

Pepper went quiet. She had weeks to recover from the news that one of her best friends were dead, but Team Omega hadn’t talked or even mentioned it since Pepper wrote it in the final report. It was manifested in her mind like a parasite and sucking the life out of her, like smoke in a burning house.

He took his cowboy hat off. She supposed it was his way of showing his condolences without saying it, which Pepper appreciated. He closed his eyes with a few curses. “Is. . . Is everyone else okay?”

 _No_ , she wanted to say. Opening her mouth to push the word out proved to be useless, her tongue double-knotted in her throat and she couldn’t speak. Pepper looked down at the road, her fingers tightened around her dog-tag so hard that the metal left white lines on her palm.

“What?” He demanded, eyes bulging when he noticed her fidgeting, but his eyebrows furrowed down to hide it. “Beatrice, who else?”

“Vance,” she released her dog-tag. “You need to-”

“It’s Lee isn’t it?” His face fell with her silence. Maybe that was enough, she could walk away now and not have to force herself to say anymore. But he didn’t know, he didn’t know how bad it was, nor what happened. “She’s dead isn’t she?”

“We don’t know,” she replied, forcing herself to look him in the eyes. “She was at the airport when the attack started. I went to find her but I only found dead troops, and she wasn’t one of them.”

He was hard to read, but she could nearly see all of the thoughts flashing through his head, similar to a picture movie sped up a few notches. Vance took a deep breath, “Okay,” he tried to mask his misery. “Are the girls coping? They aren’t sleeping in the house alone, are they?”

It was hard to remain neutral when he spoke. Optimistic. He was trying to look for the light at the end of the tunnel when in reality there was only darkness. Pepper was going to crush him. She didn’t even need to say the words. The wrinkles on the sides of her nose deepened and emotion caught her by the throat.

With the snap of a rope, he crashed down. _“No.”_

“Spin-Up and I went to Cottonwood Cove.” Her lip trembled, she forced herself to stay stern. “They were being put on the docks, both of them. W-We were going to shoot them but-”

Her bold use of words could have made him throw up. It was his turn to not look at her, horrified, his eyes widened with tears slowly forming in the corners. “Oh my god,” he choked, his eyes darted back and forth while his breathing became irregular. She’d never seen Vance lose his composure, her grip on him was lessening. She knew it.

“Vance I’m so fucking so-”

“Don’t,” he interrupted, his face screwed up and he shook his head. Without another word, he turned around and walked away from her.

Pepper watched him go. This wasn’t something she could chase him down with. He walked passed the trucks and ignored every soldier and officer that looked his way. He was going home. Why he would want to go into the house that belonged to him and the family he just lost was beyond her. The first night in the Team Omega residence without her team took a large piece of her strength. The Sergeant found herself _begging_ for Aarons to wake her up at two in the morning with his workout. It killed her, and it was going to kill him.

Once he passed under the bridge, she lost sight of him. Her throat continued to swell and she couldn’t force herself to stay out in front of all these new soldiers. Pepper turned around and started back up the hill to return to their house.

 

The moment she opened the door, Spin-Up poked his head up. He was in the kitchen, leaning against the wall alongside the broken landline. He was tangling his dog tag around his fingers in hopes of distracting himself. What surprised her most was that Grim moved from the couch for the first time since he woke up, only to sit at the dining table. A trivial action, but it was something.

Spin-Up moved into the living room to block her, “what happened?”

“What do you think?” She spat, frustration getting the best of her. Pepper shook her head and grabbed her beer bottle off of the dining table. She shoved passed the recon and sulked down the hallway.

 

* * *

 

Waking up became one of the hardest things to do in her life.

The first morning, a woman with a swollen belly shook her awake before the sun climbed over the cliff. She was struck with terror to find her still sleeping and pulled Rowena up the rocks until the tents became wine red with gold thread laced over the curves. That morning she spent hours in the mess tent with other slaves, chopping up Xander root and Pinto bean pods until her hands cramped and three of her fingers were sliced. The fire in her arm raged on, just as it did the night before.

The bandage was stuck to her skin like glue and soothed the burn only a tad. An infection from the branding iron would begin to broil in her system eventually. Would it be wrong of her to ask for it to be cleaned? They wouldn't want their slaves dropping dead or having fevers higher than the temperature outside, surely. Especially if they did everything for them.

You could tell how long people had been here just by looking at their brand. How raw and red it was or if they still covered it with a bandage. Most of the men were burnt on their cheeks and foreheads, melting their skin to deform them. Same with slave women — if the Brander didn’t think they were attractive enough. Rowena supposed that made her lucky, or a target, she didn’t know.

While she worked fast, the lady with the swollen belly came over to check on her, placing her hand on Rowena’s shoulder. “Everything going okay?”

Rowena faltered, her finger slipped and she almost sliced open the tip of her pinky. Trying to keep her hands from shaking, she forced a nod.

The pregnant lady held her words and a somber sigh fell from her mouth. “Here, let me help you,” She urged, taking the blade from Rowena, to which she stepped out of the way with her hands clasped together.

Rowena watched her breeze through the chopping in silence, her mouth pulled to a hard line. “Are you tribal? If you don’t understand me I need to know, for your safety,” She said, brushing the diced Xander root to the side and starting on the Pinto pods.

She spoke so little that the lady wasn’t sure if she knew English or not.

Rowena shook her head. “I’m from the Mojave. NCR.” The words were meek and hardly heard over the commotion. Instantly, the lady looked at her and put her finger to her lips with a ‘shh’. The gesture told her that being so forthright about her nationality wasn’t something she should want to do, even to another captive woman.

“Don’t tell anyone that, not even the slaves.” The warning was gentle, but she could feel the severity behind them. “It’s better if they think you’re tribal, not NCR. Especially when you’re older. Your secret is safe with me, okay?”

She sputtered, her tongue felt too big for her mouth. “Thank you,” Rowena nodded.

The lady smiled, she couldn’t believe it. Everyone in the tent looked miserable. Cracked lips, doll eyes, bruised and bloody skin. No one dared to beam, whether they didn’t have the energy or it would be slapped off their face.

“Here,” She handed the knife back to Rowena, “I’ve cut the Xander root, you can finish the Pintos.”

She waddled away, holding her hand over her belly. Rowena’s chest tightened, while looking down at the bean pods, all she wanted to do was cry. She was scared that may be the nicest thing anyone would do for her from now on. It terrified her to know that this may only get worse from here on.

Rowena stayed occupied in the kitchens for hours, but she couldn't complain. Having to work in the hot sun in front of peering eyes sounded more terrifying than a few cuts and burns here and there. Furthermore, if she was careful enough she could sneak in a few bites of fresh food. It was more than most around here got. There were only a dozen slaves working the kitchen and most were disabled in some physical way, unable to do anything else.

When night fell, Rowena returned to the brahmin pen, seeing the poor woman she shared a boat with when first docking here. She’d been thrown into a pile of dirty hay close to the animals. Her thighs were slick with blood and her clothes were entirely torn. There were thick gashes on her hips and breasts as well as deep bite marks, bruises, scrapes — anywhere that looked appealing. While Rowena tried to sleep, the lady cried the whole night and only stopped when a patrolling Legionary threatened to shut her up with expressions too obscene to repeat.

She was dead the next morning. Rowena was first to realize, watching the starving brahmin slowly start to lick at her wounds before beginning to eat her.

 _“The Legion is an awful place for a man, and even worse for a woman.”_ Uncle Aarons words recited in her head. At first, Rowena thought she understood, but she didn’t. Seeing that lady and what became of her, she couldn’t help but think that her fate would be cut the same way. Having her body be thrown into a brahmin pen instead of a burial with a headstone. No one would ever know who she was.

Before the sun rose, Rowena ran to the mess tent. Pain stabbing into her brittle feet, but at least the sand was chilled from nightfall. The Pregnant lady was in front of the kitchen. Her upper lip swollen and her eyes red and puffy like she’d been crying. She was looking over her shoulder at a Legionary in a feathered hat who sat alone at the tables. He cleaned his machete of blood with a handkerchief. Even though Rowena couldn’t see his eyes, she knew he had something to do with the lady.

“Who’s that Legionary? We haven’t even started cooking.” Rowena fatuously asked once they were inside the kitchens. The pregnant lady handed her pinto pods and carrots instead of answering and told her to get to work.

The following twenty minutes were slow. Carrots were a lot less lumpy than Xander root and not as dry, but she still slipped and sliced under the bed of her fingernails a few times. Soon Rowena gathered enough confidence to put some brahmin steak on the broilers all on her own.

The Legionary by the flap didn’t appear to be in a good mood today. After standing there for twenty minutes without any complications, he tripped a slave with a limp to his walk and made him spill wet potato skins all over himself, then he beat him with his belt for the mess.

After that, Rowena stayed fixated on the carrots and chopped them into thick and thin cylinders. Her eyes stung with tears over the sound of the man choking and the slap of leather. No one could do anything about it. She wanted to say something. To tell him that he was a vile man for thinking that it made him big and strong to beat down people in no position to fight back, but she didn’t. It was a death wish. So far Rowena had done well in staying out of trouble, but it hadn’t even been a full forty-eight hours.

To drown out the noise, she thought of the river, the one that held the power to return and take her away from her family.

After his beating, he made the slave crawl on all fours to medical. Most of the workers were on edge after that, the tension so thick you could spread it on a slab of bread. The minutes were long, but after a few, the tent started to fill with smoke and the scent of charcoaling meat. Someone left a chunk of brahmin meat on the broilers for too long. Realizing it, the pregnant lady scrambled to grab the tongs and pull it from the heat before someone noticed.

Turning to a young woman who was missing her left eye: “I told you to keep the meat from burning,” she snapped, the tongs tight between her fingers. Rowena glanced over her shoulder to look at them.

The lady with a missing eye didn’t skip a beat. “I didn’t put that one there! It was her!” Her trembling hand shot up to point at Rowena. Startled, she whipped around to face them completely.

“I’m so sorry, I forgo-”

“What the fuck is burning?”

Like a hawk, the Legionary in a poor mood began shoving the slaves out of his way to stagger towards the broilers. The women looked up like two deers in headlights. Immediately their shoulders slouched and heads angled to the ground. Rowena clamped her mouth shut and turned back around.

“The brahmin sir,” the pregnant lady spoke charily, looking up from the ground to address him. She didn’t look scared. “It was left there too long.”

“Then who’s the stupid fucking bitch who put it there?” He demanded, stepping closer to stare both of them down, comparable to cockroaches underneath his boot. Rowena stole a frightened peek over her shoulder, heart palpitating in her throat. She couldn’t focus on cutting the vegetables anymore.

Rowena waited for one of them to point fingers at her, throw her to the wolves and watch impotently as they tore her apart. The pregnant lady glanced over at Rowena, taking note of her jaw and gaping eyes.  

She cleared her throat. “It was me,” she lied, holding her hand over her large belly. Trepidation broiled in each of their fingertips, and Rowena knew her feet were welded to the soil. “It slipped from my mind, I-”

He slapped her so hard it threw her to the ground, louder than the sounds of afternoon church bells. The one-eyed lady stepped back to dig her behind into the broilers. “You stultus pregnant whore, that better be a boy in your womb or your husband will fuck you dead. You hear me?!”

She nodded, hand to her cheek and the other one protecting her belly in case he was to kick her. The tent was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Rowena heard momma in her ear. _She made her choice to protect you._ She would say, a hand on her shoulder with a stern voice. _Leave it be._

“Get the fuck up,” he spat after a tense silence. Grabbing the lady by her stola and pulling her from the ground. “You’re lucky I don’t fucking kill you, get the fuck out.”

He could, it was all the same to him. But something stood between him and his instinct to cut her face with the machete at his hip. Her husband maybe, a man he would have to answer to if his wife came up mangled and dead with the blood on his hands.

The kitchen was without order, that became clear when the pregnant lady left the tent with tears shimmering in her eyes. Folks tried to work quickly and get as much diced and mixed together as they could before heads started rolling for taking too long. The Legionaries would be looking forward to steaming stew on a summer morning.

‘Twas two punishments under an hour until a girl with three fingers was seen testing a sample of the broiling stew to make sure it was up to taste. The provoked Legionary didn’t care the reason, he was out for blood this morning. He hurtled her to the ground by her hair and stomped vigorously on her kneecap ‘til the bone shattered beneath his heel.

It sounded like she was dying. A scream that raged in everyone’s ears, seeping into their skin to chill their bones. Rowena's shoulders trembled and she caught her thumb with the vegetable knife, slicing a bloody **X** into her thumb. Glancing over her shoulder, Rowena saw her leg arched in the wrong direction, her knee littered with punctures from where the shards of bone cut through the skin.

The blood poured from the openings, running down the side of her joint to well up on the sand. The lady bellowed on and on, Rowena wished she would stop, but she screamed ‘til she didn’t have enough air in her lungs to continue. Laying there, she sobbed on the floor, unable to gather the strength to cradle her leg.  

Rowena wondered if it was possible to die like that, no fatal punctures to the torso or head, but shock caused by irreversible trauma. My god, Rowena couldn’t look anymore, her head snapped back to the counter. The legionary grabbed the lady by the arm, hauling her to the flap and peeking his head out.

It was hard to hear, even with many of them keeping their silence. Deep breaths didn’t stop her hands from shaking, she set the knife down and balled her hands up. The carrots were covered with dirt and her blood, crudely chopped, and all she could see in them was the spear-like shape they held. Close to the bones that tore from the woman’s skin.

A Legionary walked past the brutal one, the lines of wrinkles creasing deep from his ireful face, his mouth and chin shaped like a toad. He stared at the slave he held by the arm. “What happened?”

“Res, non verba,” he answered, a crude tone but he held a grin on his face. That grabbed a laugh from him while he dragged the woman past. She sobbed in pain every time her leg bounced against the sand.

Before the Legionary turned around, Rowena’s head fastened forward and she moved to grab the kitchen knife to continue cutting the last of the carrots.

She couldn’t cry, not now, maybe later when the sun was lower with it being too dark to tell. Maybe it hadn’t been fully projected, but she knew the Legion wanted their slaves to be miserable, only glass faces holding no one home inside. Crying would show that emotion still spurred through her body.

Rowena had to lose her mind or sense of self, maybe both. To look like those soldiers at war, the ones in the movies.

Grabbing the cutting board and making a fateful walk to the broiler, her knees unsteady with her weight. She dumped the carrots in, wanting to fall in too.

 

* * *

 

**Friday, May 24th, 2273**

 

This was the first day in weeks that the sky wasn’t engulfed in clouds.

Wearing Grim’s spare shades kept the sun from her eyes. Due to weeks of isolation and leaving the house only to restock the fridge, hypersensitivity preyed on her. Never in her years of serving the NCR did she need eye protection. Never did her own gun feel so foreign in her hands.

Pepper hadn’t led a patrol in three weeks. The three soldiers she’d been coaching since March died. She found their dog-tags in that pile, the one she had on the dining table for half a week. They were so _young_ , the oldest of them being twenty, a boy so dependant on his spectacles that all you had to do was take them from him and he’d tumble down hills. So young that they were still picking out their NCR nicknames.

They were sent down here from Modoc to get proper training, maybe they were singled out for it because they had potential. Now they were to be taken back to their families brutalized, mangled, and dead.

The three soldiers standing behind her now were different. Staunch, a decade younger than her, and experienced, she knew that because they were part of the soldiers brought from Hoover Dam for protection. Pepper didn’t know any of them, but she realized by the look on their faces and their kind regards that they knew her.

They patrolled the airport, she wouldn’t say but it was more for her to find out how a portion of the raid came through the fences. The number of radscorpions was slim since the geckos gained their footing and started killing them off for food. Pepper hadn’t used her rifle since nearly killing the girls.

The gunshot was loud and her bullet shot through the creature’s left eye. Half a dozen Geckos were found throughout the airport, coming from a sizeable hole in the fence. A rusted set of pliers remained abandoned in the sand, assuming what they were used for, she waited until the patrol wasn’t looking to throw them far over the fence.

Leaving the Airport, she didn’t wave to the towers like she used to.

After telling Vance what happened, she couldn’t stand still anymore. The look of devastation in his eyes still haunted her, it was something that drinks couldn’t drown. No one had seen him since the arrival of troops on Monday. As far as anyone knew, he locked himself inside his home and wasn’t intent on coming out. Pepper thought she would search for him, but what could she say? I’m sorry? Nothing short of fucking derogatory, no one could apologize for what happened. It was too much of a burden for anyone to hold on their shoulders.

If Aarons was here, he’d tell her that blaming herself for what happened is ridiculous. She wasn’t the Legion soldier that took the girls away, nor the ones driving bullets and blades into the bodies of those twenty-six soldiers and four civilians who lost their lives that morning. She could hear him now, staring her down, eyebrows pinched together and his eyes gleaming with care.

_“It’s not your fault, alright? How could it be? You did everything you could.”_

It echoed in her head and for a second it felt like he was still here. If she did everything she could then why? Why did it feel like if she’d just been more vigilant then everything would be different? Why couldn’t she look anyone in the eyes without wondering if they lost someone she could’ve saved?

Pepper hadn’t seen the airport this empty since team Omega was first stationed here. Nothing worked properly then, even the water pipes, being so radiated and rusted that the only thing coming out was hair clumps and toxic mud. The patrol team wouldn’t be able to tell, only her.

They walked down the road and past the schoolhouse. The lights were off with no children learning inside. One of the teachers were still missing and the other was healing from a sliced throat and a broken ankle. Pepper wasn’t sure which one to pity.

They proceeded back to the police station without her. Pepper didn’t even learn their names in the twenty minutes she spent with them. Now being alone without a job to distract her, she could smell the trace of carbon and smoke in the air. The closer she came to the town square the more she could taste it. It made her nauseous, a sickness so deep that her head flooded with fluid.

Could anyone else smell it? Did anyone even care?

The chapel stood further down the road, the loss of the walls made it look smaller. At least the smoke had stopped, no longer putting a black cloud over the town.

Several garbage bags were thrown against the steps and blocking the entrance. The small rips and tears in the plastic allowed blood to drip through and run over the steps, trailing down them like a red carpet. Pepper could smell them from here, and maybe that's why they remained there, with no one having the stomach to get them out of everyone’s line of sight and scent.

It was chunks of bodies from the explosion. Pieces of Aarons were in there somewhere, mixed in with the men who killed him. He deserved to be buried, but the idea of giving the legionaries a funeral as well left a bad taste in her mouth.

Maybe he wouldn’t care, it wasn’t likely a dead man would be stingy about where you put his body. Once six feet under everyone returns to the dirt they came from. He always believed in the pre-war religions, saying that something else had to be out there if the world didn’t end when the bombs dropped. The Earth lived on, it flourished, it grew, and they were still here. “Love thy neighbor” or whatever he used to say. It’s possible that he’d be okay with being buried with them.

Even so, she couldn’t. Pepper wasn’t as forgiving as he was. Maybe that’s why it was him in those bags and not her.

Shrill static from her radio caught her attention, and she pulled her eyes from the church. “Copy, Sergeant Pepper. This is captain Reine.”

There was something in his voice, perhaps a sense of authority. Such a job would get to most people after enough time. It wouldn't be a shock to find the substitute was getting too comfortable with the title. A sigh left her, she unclasped the device from her belt and pressed the PTT. “Yeah, I know who this is. What do you want?” She demanded, starting down the road.

“You were authorized to take a paid leave, and now I’m getting reports from transfers that you’re taking patrol duty again.”

Pepper rolled her eyes, even if he wasn’t here to see it. Inching closer to the Police station, she wondered if he’d gather the force to seek her out instead of quailing behind his desk and radio. “Didn’t know you were against able-bodied soldiers doing their fucking job.”

“You're not able-bodied” he answered, his voice distorting with the interference. “You’re grieving, and a hazard to other troops. We’re not even sure of your mental state, given how fucked your other teammate is-”

“Excuse me?” She cut him off, not letting him finish the message. Pepper wasn’t sure what part of that statement made her blood boil. A hazard? Her fucked up teammate? Since when did going through tragedy make her outfit a weak link? Pepper tightened her hold on the radio, not bothering to soften the indignation in her voice. “Go fuck yourself, you useless bastard.”

It took him a second to respond. “Take the days, or I’ll file you in.”

“For what?” She spat, marching underneath the bridge and passing the military trucks and vehicles. The anger in her was hot, like fire pulsing through her veins, her heart throbbed against her ribcage. A string of curse words wasn’t enough to fathom her fury. “You can’t authorize shit, you hear me? They’ll see the power move you’re trying to pull and put it in the shredders.”

“You-”

She pressed the PTT to end his message. “No, fuck you.”

Before he could respond, Pepper pulled the batteries from her portable radio and stuffed them in her pocket.

She reflected on what just happened. “Fuck,” she rubbed the stress from her forehead and clipped the device back to her belt. Pepper knew this behavior wouldn’t matter once they found someone else for the colonel’s position, but the idea that Captain Reine could return to California and declare her deranged or even a threat to the community made her teeth ache. He was one of those business suited types Lee always showed revulsion for. For the Lieutenant’s sake, Pepper wanted to wrap her hands around his throat and squeeze.

Reine showed up here on the 8th with orders from authorities in The Hub. He’d been here a week longer than the transfers, meaning he wasn’t present during the attack, he didn’t bleed for this town, he didn’t care, and he didn’t _know_. They weren’t unstable or fucked. Calling it “grieving” was an insult when they weren’t just dead, they were gone.

Pepper took off her sunglasses and used her keys to open the door. Inside awaited the smell of dust and the bitter scent of coffee. Spin-Up sat at the dining table with a mug in hand, one with a cracked American flag painted on.

She stiffened when she noticed Vance.

He was sitting in her chair, with Pepper’s first thought being that it couldn’t be him. He never looked like that, head down, hands crossed, God knows what his face looked like. Her lungs shook inside her chest, forcing her to realize that she had to breathe. Vance didn’t have his uniform on, only slacks and a crudely buttoned shirt. Something was smeared on the attire —  blood maybe — brick red and fresh. It might’ve been his own.

Since the beginning of May, the house was always quiet, but this was different. It was strangling, excruciating, and worse than incessant gunfire. The clock ticked slower, the refrigerator hummed, and the shower whistled. Spin-Up moved to take a long drink from his cup before noticing her, his inflamed eyes picking her out by the door when she set her keys down.

Pepper wasn’t ready to point out the obvious. “Where’s Grim?” She asked, her voice taut and quiet, her eyes strained on Vance.

Her teammate opened his mouth, but the cobwebs from his silence kept him at bay. He pointed over at the bathroom door with his thumb.

She nodded, by all means, she should’ve been content. This was the first time in weeks that Grim took the first steps to take care of himself without one of them holding his hand. For a while, she thought it would be better for him if they put him down. He never seemed like one to take a loss as he did, Pepper imagined if one of them died, Grim would be the first to eat dinner without feeling sick, the first to sing a song, laugh it off, or smile.

Pepper didn’t know why that couldn’t be right. She’d rather be insulted by his laugh than not hear anything at all.

The table was a marking place, what the month of May didn’t drastically change would be decided now. Pepper wasn’t ready, but it was too late for her to still have that mentality. Even though it killed her, Pepper knew that some things were out of their hands. She could’ve done more; one more bullet, one more regard, maybe just one ‘I love you’ to her family in case everything went to hell.

Pepper walked towards the dining table, sitting down in the seat closest to the door. Vance remained still, head close to the wood with fingers cradled in front of him. The creases of his knuckles and to the base of his tendons were cut, deeply bruised and lined with broken blood vessels. They were new — given the irritated skin around the wounds.

“Vance-”

“Wait,” he broke. One word, but she could tell it was the only one he’d said since coming here. Spin-Up stared at her, eyes crinkled and a sour mouth. He hated seeing him like this just as much as her.

So they waited. The clock gave Pepper an estimation of how long they sat there in silence. In the near fifteen years she’d known him, never did he need a moment. If he did, they never saw. He was like Aarons, in some way that made him the same type of sick that she could be jealous of. It’s why Lee liked Vance so much, being everything Lee thought she could never be.

She ought to say something. Ask him why his knuckles were red or why he was here.

More than five minutes past before he finally looked up. “Did. . . Were my daughters scared?”

His lips were beaten from his teeth. Eyes sunken in, and the side of his face red from fingernail marks. It caught them off guard after minutes of silence from him. Spin-Up’s reaction was expected, mouth opening before looking away from them.

“Please,” they could tell how much he meant it. His voice thick with silence. “I need to know. Please.”

Pepper looked down at her hands. “Rowena looked scared, Celestine was crying..” She wondered if Spin-Up’s coffee was made Irish. “Why. . . Why would you want to know that?” The sudden realization of how harrowing that must be for him to hear began settling in. Spin-Up kept his silence. “Are you trying to drive yourself insane?”

“What else am I supposed to do?!” Vance countered. His upheaval echoed off the walls and left a short-lived ringing in their ears. He went rigid, shoulders reaching for his ears. His eyes softened with realization, looking down at his hands. “I-” he paused before the emotion could make his voice break. “I thought it was okay to wait until my leave. . . I didn’t think it was serious, I thought Lee was. . . I thought she was just being c-careful.”

He couldn’t keep himself from crying, his nose reddening to the color of his cheeks. “I thought she was just. . .”

The shower stopped and they heard the curtains opened. She could do nothing but stare at him. Pepper had only seen him cry twice. His first leave after Rowena’s birth and when he first held Celestine in his arms. Pepper wanted him to stop talking. Stop saying their names, and never mention the girls to her again unless they were standing outside without a finger on them. She knew it was his family, but my god did it kill her having to listen to him put the blame on himself.

Her hands rolled up, cramping the base of her fingers and straining her tendons. Pepper hadn’t searched for him because she didn’t know what to say, and even now, there remained nothing. He sat here, god only knows how long that would last before he had enough of their stares.

Much of his strength went into regaining himself. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and looking down at the table. Pepper knew he wasn’t done crying. Spin-Up pushed the dust from his mouth and spoke for the first time since Pepper came in, “how long do you have until you go back?” He asked. The coffee didn’t help with the tension in his throat.

He blinked once, then twice. Vance didn’t respond immediately, his hands still shaking. “The usual, I. . .” He moved his hands — hesitating in bringing them to his face. “I wanted to be here for Celestine’s. . . her. . .” The grief never left him, but with those words, his face darkened. “Well, you know.”

Pepper’s shoulders slacked at the reminder. Her birthday. She had half the mind to keep it out of thought. She’ll be twelve on the eighth, and she’d be spending it with the Legion. Vance’s hand moved back to the table and away from his face, he ran his fingers over the red marks on his knuckles. “I’m going against my orders and not staying here. I have to find them.”

“No,“ she said, her words a burst of energy. “You’re not fucking doing that.”

“Pepper-” Spin-Up tried.  
  
“No,” she bit, staring back at Vance. “Find them? There’s no fucking trail to follow. They went on boats down the river and could be anywhere from the border to Flagstaff.”

“So what do you want me to do?!” His face was growing red with desperation and twisting in anguish. “You want me to do nothing? For my family? You know what the Legion is going to do to them — what they might be doing to them right now!”

“You think I don’t know that?” Pepper asked, insulted that he felt the need to remind her of the Legion’s wrath. She remembered Flagstaff, remembered the mistake that lodged buildings and enemies between them, resulting in a loss of life and nearly her own. When fingers were tight in her hair and pulling her away and to what she thought would be her resting place. Aarons saved her, nearly dying in the process. They would’ve killed her after, Pepper wasn’t sure if the girls would get the same mercy. “You think it doesn’t fucking eat at me?”

They could hear the buckling of Grim’s clothes from in the bathroom and the stillness of the wind outside. Spin-Up got up from his chair and walked towards the bathroom door and let himself in. Pepper knew he didn’t want to hear them fight.

“Then come with me.” His jaw trembled, forcing itself straight. For a master sergeant and as good as he was with an assault rifle, he couldn’t have appeared smaller. “We can find them together. Lee, Row, Celest,” his eyes were filling with tears, “we can follow the river and find them.”

“Do you hear yourself?” She asked, watching his broken hands twitch on top of the table. “The Legion will find you and beat the teeth out of your skull, break your arms and legs, cut your tongue out, and leave you to die. Do you think Lee would want that? Do you think she’d want you to drive yourself insane?”

“She’d want me to protect them!” His voice cracked and a tear slipped from his eyes with the force, but he didn’t falter. “If it was me and the girls out there, she wouldn’t stand around doing nothing!”

“How is that so much better?” She played his game, raising her voice to meet his and overpower it. “It’s a fucking suicide mission, even if you found them you’d fucking die before you could do anything to help them!”  
  
The bathroom door opened before he could reply. Grim appeared first, walking carefully with his eyes narrowed to the floor with Spin-Up behind him. Pepper didn’t realize how much her nails were biting into the table until seeing him. She paused to stare, watching Grim sulk to the bedroom door, his hair a black mop sagging over his forehead and dripping to his nose. He always moved when she wasn’t looking, this must’ve been the first time Pepper had seen him walk since the first week of May.

Spin-Up only stared at her for a minute. The walls were old and hollow which made them easy to hear whole conversations through, at this rate the whole town would hear of their discussion. He wanted to say something, mouth parting before he let go of a sigh and decided it wasn’t worth his effort. They disappeared into the bedroom with the door shutting tight behind them.

Pepper stared back at Vance, his fingers picking at the grotesque scab on his knuckle. “I met Lee and Aarons on my first month of enlistment, and three weeks ago I was searching for their bodies and hoping they were dead.” She paused, realizing how that was the first time she spoke of it without stuttering, he looked away. “I’ve been around Lee for twenty years and I know her. She’d _never_ want someone to die for her because that’s something _she_ did. Just because she’s-” Pepper’s tongue flipped in her mouth, “just because she was an idiot doesn’t mean you get to be.”

 _Was._ The word escaped her before she could stop it.

With that, silence infused. Vance struggled to gain his words, head angling down with his hand moving to catch his breath. The apple in his throat bobbed with stress and a dry sob left him. His body failed to hold him, leaning to rest his head on his arms with his hands tense as rocks.

Pepper remembered the night in Flagstaff, just after one of their own lost their life, days before she nearly lost her own. It was a night where Lee couldn’t sleep and her face gnarled with rage. _“They slaughtered him like a pig,”_ she said, too angry to eat or care that Spin-Up had to drink a bottle of scotch just to fall asleep. _“Like a fucking pig.”_  

It was the first time she saw the Lieutenant cry, the first time she didn’t know what to say to her. Pepper was tired of the constant battle with herself between dissociation and comfort; not grasping what to say to Vance gave the fifteen years she’d known him no worth.

His fists moved to clench his greasy hair, trying to regain himself again. “Vance,” she tried again. Her hand twitched at her side, giving her an awkward impulse to reach out and comfort him, something Aarons would’ve done. “Vance, are you hearing me?”

He didn’t show his face, “I don’t know what to do,” he said, sounding near drunk out of his head. “I can’t just lose them, Beatrice, by god, I can’t.”

Vance fell apart at the table, the impression of stability he fought to have, came down on him like a sheet of heavy rain in April. Pepper let him, hoping that after he cried himself sick, he would find it in him to listen to her — understand that he might have nothing to lose, but going against the Legion’s hand was worse than lack of vengeance and death. “The legion will kill you, maybe keep you as a prisoner of war,” she said, not sure if he was hearing her anymore. “Vance, you have to listen to me.”

If he didn’t get it now then Pepper feared that once he left, he’d be dead in a month. She could beg him, tell him that she already suffered through losing a piece of herself and the people who gave her something to live for. Pepper hoped that when he gathered himself, he would promise her, say that he wouldn’t do what she’d been holding herself from doing for nearly a month.

Instead, he left. Vance didn’t say any more than meager apologies and incoercible words. He didn’t say goodbye to Spin-Up or Grim, hardly looking at her when closing the door behind him.

The aftermath held Pepper to the chair. There was something about using her legs to walk or moving to the bedroom that made her stomach churn and twist. The ghost of herself before May shook its head in disapproval. She didn’t move for another hour, and she couldn’t bring herself to walk into the bedroom and sleep when the sun fell.

 

Pepper only caught thirty minutes of sheep on the couch before jerking awake for one reason or another. It was nearing five when she dumped out the coffee in Spin-Up’s mug to fill it with the last of yesterday’s brew. It was cold, bitter, and tasted of ash, a taste she’d had enough of.

A quarter past five, Pepper pressed in the batteries to her radio and threw her rifle’s strap over her head. Before she left, she opened the bedroom door to see Spin-Up passed out on the floor, his legs cradled to his chest and his dog-tag tangled in his fingers. Grim was on his top bunk facing the wall, his shoulders hunched even in sleep.

Pepper no longer wondered how they slept, but why she couldn’t.

The sun complained in the cloudy sky, thick and humid air clung to her neck and seeped through her clothes like a lukewarm bath. Pepper saw a returning patrol body passing under the bridge, their assault rifles held proudly to their chests. Her radio quiet, either she wasn’t needed or Captain Reine and the others realized that she made herself unavailable for a reason.

One of the four military trucks lining the road before the bridge was gone, dirt and gravel kicked up from the leaving tires. Whoever was driving went abruptly through the sparse grass and left skid marks on the road away from Camp Searchlight.

Pepper thought of Vance, it wouldn’t surprise her to hear that his desperation ran so deep that he would leave in the middle of a night with a car that wasn’t his, to a place not meant for him. With everything he said last night, she couldn’t take the chance of overlooking it. Pepper ran under the bridge and through the streets. Her feet twisted inside of the shoes she forgot to take off when coming home, thighs cramping stubbornly from yesterday’s patrol, with the rest of her body heavy from bad sleep. She reached the Police Station and cut through the building alleys.

Lee’s home was the ugly little house with walls the color of old eggshells, boarded windows, a peeling front door, and a roof more sharp than southern grass. Pepper hadn’t brought herself to come this close to it in weeks, being that the last time she was in there — everything was still fine. Grim talking drunk gibberish, Aarons and Spin-Up bickering up a storm with him, and Lee trying to keep herself from lashing out at the three. It was something Pepper never appreciated at the time, and she felt guilt flash over her at the remembrance of her annoyance.

She slammed her fist down on the door, the movement sending a flash of heat to her head. “Vance, open the door,” she urged, reaching for the key chain clasped to her belt. “You know I have a key, don’t make me use it.”

The door was thicker than the one to Team Omega’s house, but there were times before pain when Pepper used to sit outside with Lee, able to hear every spit and curse coming from the girls inside. No light poured through the cracks under the door, nor did the sound of footsteps reach her ears.

The calming and reasonable voice in her head — one sounding like Aarons — told her that it was early, too early for even the birds to chirp and sing. Vance would be asleep inside, finally forcing himself down to rest, either sleeping on his daughters' mattress or Lee’s side of the bed.

But the thought didn’t set well in Pepper’s chest as she started to search for the key. The most driven were the most miserable; she knew a man hot with revenge never sleeps. It was the sole reason why she was here right now and not in her bed.

When she moved to open the door, Pepper found that it was never locked in the first place. The deadbolt Lee double-checked every night was unfastened and creaked from lack of use.

Walking in led to a place set motioned into chaos. Pepper stopped in the arch of the door, seeing the dropping of bombs filled with agony and rage. She made sure to evade the abundance of sharded glass that littered the carpet, shutting the door behind her to leave nothing but the hum of silence.

Vance destroyed the house. The bookshelf closest to the television set was toppled with decor over the floor and the couch on its back. What could shatter was broken: vases, plates, mugs, down to the pages and tape in novels and Holotapes being ripped from its source. The television was thrown off the set and on its glass face with the power chords sticking in the air, whether it was smashed, she didn’t know.

It stunned her to overwhelming silence. It’s hard to think of Vance being capable of something on this scale, seeing his hands yesterday, she assumed he punched the walls until they bled. The bookshelf beside the broken light switch was last standing, all of the photos on it were gone. Picture frames, photo books, Holotapes, and letters. All of it was gone, nothing left for the team to remember them by, nothing.

Pepper didn’t need to search the house for him, that was all the proof she needed to know he was gone. It wasn’t his house anymore, being nothing to prove otherwise.

Further inspection proved Pepper wrong, with one remaining portrait on the top shelf. It laid on its face with a thick and burly crack through the front of it, severing Lee’s smile and running over Celestine’s shoulder. They grinned hard with laughter paused in time. Pepper remembered this day, last year in August. Grim took his sweet time in perfecting the framework, treating it like he was getting paid to take the picture.

What happened at Cottonwood Cove fogged it all over, she couldn’t even remember the girls smiling on her own. It chewed at her memory until nothing remained but their silent look of crying. Pepper grabbed the frame and threw it at the wall, it smacked hard, cracking the glass in large chips.

It dropped to the carpet in a petty thud.

Pepper had to leave. She couldn’t destroy the house as well, throw the only standing bookshelf because it was empty of everything she used to love. She needed to let that be it, not throw herself into another agonizing pit of despair.

A peach-colored Holotape nearly crunched underneath her boot. It was crudely decorated with old, peeling sharpie. An old post-it note was slapped over the front, reading: Happy Birthday!

It remained intact with the black tape inside still strung over the reels. She recognized the handwriting, seeing it in a few of her military reports before the attack. It was Grim’s, with his “ i “ nearly resembling a “ j “ in lowercase.

Against Pepper’s good judgment, she leaned down to pick it off the ground, dusting off the thin spears of glass on top. Pepper stared at the Television before moving to lift it back on the stand, the unders of her arms and the strain in her legs sang. There was a thick cracked down the bottom corners of the glass and a chip in the center, but not smashed. The power button stuck protested under her thumb before powering on after a few good jams. She inserted the holotape and sat down on the carpet to stare.

It loaded up, and Grim’s face appeared on display. Pepper’s mouth hardened, he was sat in his bunk bed with his hair scratching against the ceiling. He smiled so big the gap in his front teeth showed. He was clean shaven and young, younger than he already was. “Happy birthday Rowena!” He whooped, his voice scratched against the damaged speakers, they popped and the left side of the TV went quiet.

Pepper couldn’t breathe, he was smiling, _he was smiling._

“You’re legal now! Meaning I can finally say shit around you! Cunt! Fuck! Bitch!” He fumbled with the camera, it skipped, went black, and loaded up again. “Right now it’s your second birthday and your mom is knocked up with another spawn — your brother or sister. I’ll probably be making one of these for them too. Your dad got this old video camera from Hoover Dam. It was in one of the storage spaces and he took it home, so I stole it to make this for you! I’ll be thirty-eight when you get this, I look the same right? Hot, fit, and young?”

Pepper’s fingers dug into her neck. “I thought you’d think this was a cool idea. I love you so much! Even though you fucking coughed in my face yesterday. No doubt you’re at least half as hot as your mom. Bye!” He waved energetically at the camera,

The TV went blue. Silence infused, Pepper’s nails dug into her throat and her body caved in. She rolled on her side and began to sob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope that was worth the wait. This chapter has my blood, sweat, and tears boiled into it. Leave a kudo and comment to let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to stay tuned then go ahead because there is plenty more to come. If you've just come here and don't know what the fuck is going on: READ PART TWO OF THIS SERIES YOU FOOL! Even though it includes spoilers to what happens next. Thanks.


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